Labour activist in $85,000 fraud

David Maka

A former Labour Party rising star and JP has been exposed as a conman.

David Mone Maka, who sought election to Parliament as a Labour list candidate in 2002, may be facing jail after admitting duping two people and an organisation out of $85,000 through a scheme similar to a Nigerian bank scam.

Maka is a member of the Auckland City Council's Tamaki Community Board, having been elected to the position on a Labour ticket, and was a member of an advisory council for Mark Gosche when he was Pacific Islands affairs minister. Maka's lawyer claims his client had himself been duped into believing the scheme was bona fide.

No money had gone into his client's pocket, the lawyer said.

Maka's victims told the Herald that Maka played on his standing with the Labour Party and other positions of trust he held.

He is a justice of the peace and his CV, posted on the council's website, records him as being a member of three school boards of trustees.

One victim, who asked not to be named, said Maka's business card said his roles included working for Mr Gosche.

Mr Gosche confirmed Maka worked in his Auckland office for about a year, liaising with the Pacific community and that he left the job about 18 months ago.

Mr Gosche declined to provide further information until the court process was completed.

Labour Party president Mike Williams said the party had at one time considered Maka, who missed Parliament by eight list placings in 2002, "a coming figure" but any political career was now ruined.

"I think he's got to face the consequences of his own actions," Mr Williams said.

Maka unsuccessfully sought the Labour candidacy for Tamaki at the last election but won a place on the Tamaki Community Board on Labour's ticket.

An Auckland City Council spokeswoman said a conviction of such a serious nature would mean Maka would no longer be eligible to remain on the board and a byelection would be needed.

Mr Williams said criminal convictions of such a nature would result in disciplinary action likely to lead to expulsion from the party but he understood Maka's membership had lapsed.

Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove said conviction of a JP of an offence punishable by a prison term usually led to the minister recommending to the Governor-General that the person be removed as a JP.

Maka last week pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to four representative charges of causing loss by deception.

He was granted bail by Judge Jan Doogue, who told him that bail was no indication of the sentence that might be imposed.

The charges carry a maximum prison term of seven years.

Maka, who is of Solomon Islands and Tongan parentage, had made 19 approaches to his victims, seeking money which he said was needed to release funds held in an overseas account.

According to the statement of facts, Maka came up with a variety of excuses to explain delays in the arrival of the overseas funds and on several occasions requested - and received - more money to overcome these delays.

When spoken to by police he was adamant the overseas fund existed but was unable to substantiate his claims.

One of his victims said Maka and an associate referred them to websites and emails to back their claims but these did not check out. The websites purported to be those of a reputable English bank, Interpol and the United Nations.

The man (who loaned Maka $10,140) and his sister ($68,300) had the websites scrutinised by a forensic computer company which they said reported them as fake. The websites traced back to China.

The man, who is retired, said Maka told them all sorts of stories, including that the money had to be cleared of being tainted by the United Nations' "office of drugs and crime".

The amount supposedly available overseas grew from $900,000 to $15 million.

"As time went on we started to think that things don't add up but we were trying to be nice at the same time. We thought surely he's not duping us. The lies probably gutted us more [than the money]," the man said.

Maka's lawyer, Nalesoni Tupou, said that Maka had sold his house and full reparation was paid into the victims' bank accounts yesterday.

Besides the brother and sister, the other victim was the Rodney Street Clean Up Fund ($6200), to which the council, local businesses and residents had contributed. It was to clean rubbish from an Otahuhu creek frequented by children.

"[Maka] was carefully used by other agencies," said Mr Tupou, describing his client as "very naive".

His male victim described Maka as "a real ratbag. Oh, he's conned everybody very badly".

Maka is to be sentenced on June 13.