Claims licensed immigration advisers may be tied into scam

Amato Akarana Rewi. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Immigration Advisers Authority is investigating claims that licensed immigration advisers could be among those acting as "Sovereign Aotearoa Government immigration officials" promoting "worthless" Aotearoa citizenship certificates.

Overstayers from Samoa and Tonga are paying hundreds of dollars to a self-styled Maori chief, Amato Akarana-Rewi, for the certificates which promise to absolve the holder of all responsibilities under "Pakeha law", including paying taxes to the New Zealand Government.

"Allegations of fraudulent activity involving vulnerable migrants are of major concern to us, and a matter of interest to the authority's investigations team," registrar Barry Smedts said yesterday.

"We would like to hear from anybody with information about this alleged citizenship scam."

Agents for Mr Akarana-Rewi, also known as Dan Davis, organise meetings in several South Auckland locations to promote the scheme to overstayers.

Mr Smedts says it is an offence for anyone in New Zealand or offshore to give immigration advice without a license since since the Immigration Advisers Act came into effect on May 4 last year.

A Tongan overstayer, who paid $370 for his certificate, said he was referred to the Mr Akarana-Rewi - who he was introduced to as Chief Tupai - by a licensed adviser he turned to for help.

"I trusted the guy because he held an official licence to give advice," said the overstayer, who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity.

"He told me about Chief Tupai's scheme, and said it was a sure way of legitimising my stay here. He wanted me to pay him $800 professional fee to apply for Aotearoa citizenship, but I told him I will deal with the chief directly."

He had considered going to the authority when he first found out the certificate was worthless, but decided against it because he feared that it could end with him being deported.

A former agent of Mr Akarana-Rewi, who became a licensed immigration adviser in April 2009, said he thought the scheme was a "genuine" attempt to help overstayers.

Mr Richard Ho, who now runs his own immigration consultancy firm R&C Ho Limited, said in a letter to a prospective client in 1999 when he was working for Mr Akarana-Rewi that a "Maori citizenship" would cost him $380 in application fee and $600 in professional fee.

"I think Amato genuinely wanted to help the overstayers, who were really desperate, but his grand plan just didn't work out," Mr Ho said.

Mr Akarana-Rewi claims to have denounced his New Zealand citizenship and believes he has the legal right to issue citizenship certificates because Maori had retained their sovereignty under the 1835 Declaration of Independence.

The 78-year-old former Labour Party member and 1980s Manukau mayoralty candidate would not say how many Pacific Islanders have been issued "citizenship" to Aotearoa.

Immigration New Zealand said the certificates are fraudulent and worthless, and is asking those who have paid for them to take the matter to the police.

"We encourage people to come forward and speak with us at the earliest possible opportunity if they run into difficulties with their immigration status as there may be pathways for them to explore for regularising their status in New Zealand," said head of Immigration Nigel Bickle.

"We will not know whether such pathways exist until we have the opportunity to talk to them and determine their individual circumstances."

Mr Bickle said those who remained here unlawfully will come to the attention of his department at some stage, and will face a ban from returning if they are deported.

In a separate matter, another man, Gerard Otimi, is awaiting sentencing on May 17 after being found guilty of running a similar scam in the Manukau District court last week, also preying on Tongan and Samoan overstayers.