Kyle says MP told her to lie about cash for school fees

By ELIZABETH BINNING

A former electoral agent says Donna Awatere Huata came to her house and asked her to lie if she was questioned about money given to her to pay school fees.

Patricia Kyle yesterday gave evidence against Awatere Huata, an MP, and her husband, Wi Huata, at a preliminary hearing in the Auckland District Court.

They are accused of fraudulently obtaining thousands of dollars from the Pipi Foundation.

Some of the money was allegedly used to pay their children's school fees.

Mrs Kyle, Awatere Huata's electoral agent until 2002, told the court she did tasks ranging from sorting the MP's mail to running personal errands for her.

Those errands included paying school fees for the Huatas' two children.

Sometimes the payments were made in cash, other times by cheque.

In November 1999, Mrs Kyle said, Awatere Huata gave her two cash cheques for $6110 and $6007.38. The prosecution alleges they were from the Pipi Foundation.

Mrs Kyle said she was given instructions on how to cash the cheques and then use the money to pay school fees at Woodford House and Iona College in Hawkes Bay.

"When I was given the instructions to cash the cheques, I was told to then purchase a bank cheque.

"Donna turned to Wi and said, 'Is that the way you want it done?' Mr Huata said, 'Yes'."

"After I had [gone to the bank] I realised that I hadn't actually followed the instructions because I immediately purchased a bank cheque made out to Woodford House. I was told to cash the cheque first."

Mrs Kyle recalled another occasion in April 2001 when Awatere Huata came into the office and gave her cash to pay $3000 worth of school fees.

Mrs Kyle said that in August last year, 10 months after she stopped working as an electoral agent, she received a phone call from Awatere Huata.

"She asked me if I had spoken to the media. I said no."

The next morning Mrs Kyle received another call in which Awatere Huata asked her if she had seen "printed lies about school fees" in the morning newspaper and again asked if she had spoken to the media.

Mrs Kyle said, 'No', and was put on to Mr Huata, who repeated the question.

He hung up after she said 'no' again.

Two days later, Awatere Huata turned up at Mrs Kyle's home.

"She asked me if I was questioned if I could say that it was her husband that gave me the cash and not her, that she didn't bring it to the office.

"My response was, 'No, I can't tell a lie'.

"I couldn't lie straight in my bed if I told a lie. She said, 'Oh, that's OK'. She understood, she knew what sort of person I was'."

Mrs Kyle said she was upset by the conversation.

After reading stories about the Huatas in the papers, she contacted the police and later gave a statement, using detailed notes she had made during the previous year.

The hearing, before Justices of the Peace Ross Familton and Don Harrow, continues today.

The charges

Donna Awatere Huata: Eleven charges of fraudulent use of documents.

Wi Huata: Six charges of fraudulent use of documents.

One charge each of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The couple are accused of fraudulently using documents to obtain thousands of dollars from the Pipi Foundation, which promoted a reading programme developed by Donna Awatere Huata and was later chaired by Wi Huata.