Moeke to stay put for review

By KEVIN TAYLOR

Te Mangai Paho chief executive Trevor Moeke has been given a stay of execution after a scathing report into kickbacks and mismanagement at the Maori broadcasting agency.

Interim chairman Wira Gardiner said yesterday that a performance review would explore Mr Moeke's handling of former TMP radio manager Tame Te Rangi, who received kickbacks from a private company.

The review would take a fortnight and Mr Moeke had agreed to co-operate.

Mr Moeke would not answer questions at the press conference held after a meeting of the TMP board yesterday, but he indicated through a statement that he was confident about his position.

"I am confident in my performance as CE and look forward to the opportunity, via the review process, to quell any concerns the public may have regarding it."

TMP chairman Toby Curtis resigned on Wednesday last week after the Government received a scathing Treasury report, which found serious failings by him in handling Mr Te Rangi.

The report was commissioned after Act MP Rodney Hide accused Mr Te Rangi of getting cash payments for commentating for Maori Sports Casting International - a private company to which he also gave Government money.

Mr Gardiner said the review would explore Mr Moeke's handling of that issue and whether he followed "applicable processes and procedures" over the allocation and monitoring of agency funding.

He had taken Crown Law advice after discovering last week that Mr Moeke's employment contract, which expired in January, had not been formally renewed.

But there was one matter still to clarify before resolving that issue.

Mr Gardiner released a table of actions the agency has already undertaken to address issues raised in the report, including adopting procedures on police vetting checks.

A spokesman for Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said yesterday that he would not comment on the board's actions.

But Mr Hide said Mr Moeke was a goner. "It's clear the guillotine is being winched up ... The review is just to make the process tidy."

Mr Hide also criticised the Prime Minister and Mr Horomia for applying two standards in Government - one for Maori and one for everybody else.

He asked why Helen Clark would not review Mr Horomia's performance.

Mr Te Rangi resigned in March after it was revealed he had failed to disclose a 10-year-old fraud conviction to the agency.

The report found Mr Te Rangi received $2730 for commentating at up to 50 sporting events in New Zealand and Australia. His expenses of $14,000 were paid by the broadcasters, who had received public money for covering the events.

Mr Te Rangi has denied receiving payment, saying he was reimbursed for expenses.

The report said both Mr Curtis and Mr Moeke had "demonstrated poor judgment".

The agency promotes Maori language and culture by allocating taxpayer money for Maori music, radio and television programming.

Last year it gave $30 million to Maori television and $10 million to Maori radio.