Cleared broker heads to US to 'wreak havoc'

Being cleared of allegations of insurance fraud is not enough for Northland man Geoff Waterhouse. Now he's on the warpath to the source of the allegation - Georgia in the United States.

Mr Waterhouse, 63, has had a miserable year trying to disentangle himself from an ugly insurance scandal.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing at the end of April but now has a "hit-list" of people he wants to bring down.

The first Mr Waterhouse, a British national, knew of any trouble was in March 2005.

"I got a phone call about 3am from my lawyer saying (my son) Robert had been arrested. They were after me as well."

The Georgia Insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine, claimed the Waterhouses' company, Phoenix Brokers, had sold US$3 million worth of "bogus insurance" to Georgia taxi and limousine companies.

The business was shut down, assets frozen, customers forced to organise new cover, and Robert held in custody for three weeks.

Mr Waterhouse, who would have been arrested if he'd returned to Georgia, strongly protested his innocence from the Opua home he shares with wife Naomi.

He claims Mr Oxendine jumped to conclusions about what was going on.

"He didn't investigate it at all. He added two and two together and got 506."

Mr Waterhouse also believes Mr Oxendine was attempting to gain publicity to further his career.

Mr Oxendine led Georgia media on the "charge of the press brigade" to record Robert's arrest. He also issued a media statement about the "bogus insurance" allegations, but has not issued a retraction, even though allegations have been dropped.

Mr Waterhouse was officially told warrants against him had been cancelled at the end of April. The claims against Robert were dismissed last September.

In his stressful year "living under a cloud" Mr Waterhouse lost sleep and weight, but all the time gathered evidence against those who'd wronged him.

"I'm on the warpath," he said, preparing for a return trip.

A lot of "craftiness" has been going on, Mr Waterhouse said, explaining in detail the intricacies of international insurance operations.

He estimated he'd lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while former clients lost thousands as a result of having to get new insurance.

When he returns to Georgia he plans to help former clients who are suing the state, and will help the Georgia Attorney General's office, who are still investigating the scandal.

Little wonder Mr Waterhouse has "quite a few people" on his "hit list" to confront.

He believes the ripple effect of the allegations has affected his standing in New Zealand's insurance industry and caused at least one client to cancel their contract with his Bay of Islands shuttle bus company.

Although he was moving on, he also said "I can forgive, but I can't forget". And he's certainly relishing the opportunity to go back and "wreak havoc" on those who've done the same to him.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)