Government moves to strip Sir James Wallace of knighthood after being revealed as convicted sex offender, artworks to remain on display at Pah Homestead

Sir James Wallace gives evidence during his trial in the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Sam Hurley

The Government has begun the process of stripping Sir James Wallace of his knighthood, following his name suppression being lifted and his indecent assault crimes being revealed today.

“The Acting Prime Minister has initiated the process for honours forfeiture,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“That process includes affording Sir James Wallace an opportunity to respond with any comments that he considers should be taken into account. There will be no further comment until that process has reached its conclusion.”

Auckland Council’s Dr Claudia Wyss, the director of customer and community services, also told the Herald the Pah Homestead, which is owned by the council, would continue to house the numerous artworks of the James Wallace Arts Trust Collection. The trust has since been renamed as The Arts House Trust.

“While we recognise that this is a very sensitive matter, we believe the artists and artworks, and the public, should not be penalised by the abhorrent actions of an individual,” she said.

“While the collection had its origins with James Wallace, it has been enhanced and managed by a wider group of people focussed on supporting New Zealand art and artists. With regard to funding, the funding agreement for the coming financial year hasn’t yet been agreed by the local board and over the last two years, funding payments were deferred while this matter was resolved. A typical funding allocation is in the vicinity of $420,000.”

Sir James Wallace was dubbed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand in 2011. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Wyss said the lease for the Pah Homestead to house the art is a “low-value community ‘peppercorn’ lease that was agreed by the former Auckland City Council in August 2010.”

“The lease for the Pah Homestead is managed under a relationship agreement between the council and the Trust. The Trust also receives annual operational funding, which is agreed by the Puketāpapa Local Board and administered by the council.”

Wyss said the trust has also “resettled the collection and severed its connections with James Wallace”. Auckland Council has also reassigned its agreements to the new trust.

“The artworks remain on public display at the Pah Homestead and they represent one of the most substantial collections of contemporary New Zealand art. We support the work of these artists and acknowledge the importance of making their artworks accessible to the public.”

Wallace began collecting art, now worth about $50m, in the 1960s. The trust has loaned many works for public viewing, including to Government House, the Supreme Court, universities, Auckland’s exclusive The Northern Club, and his alma mater King’s College.

Wallace has estimated he and the trust spend about $2m per year on the arts, which saw him knighted for services to the industry in 2011.

Now that his suppression has expired, Wallace may see the removal of his knighthood as was the case with fellow disgraced rich-lister Ron Brierley; guilty of possession of child sexual abuse material. Brierly would have been stripped of his knighthood had he not relinquished it voluntarily.

Honours can be removed from those who have brought the honours system into disrepute, according to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).

DPMC includes examples of qualifying situations, including a sentence of more than three months in prison. Wallace will have 30 days to respond after he receives notice that forfeiture is being considered. If the Prime Minister still wants to recommend forfeiture, he will write to the King advising him to cancel the knighthood.

Sir James Wallace finally named as the ‘prominent businessman’

Referred to for the past five years in Herald stories as a ‘prominent businessman’, Wallace, who had an estimated net worth of about $170 million, was accused and found guilty of assaulting his victims in the early 2000s, 2008 and 2016.

He was also charged with twice attempting to pervert the course of justice by offering a bribe for the 2016 complainant - the first of the three to go to police - to drop their allegations.

Today at 2pm, the 85-year-old’s suppression order, which has been constantly opposed by the Herald, lapsed.

Wallace was sentenced to two years and four months in prison in May 2021. He was, however, released on bail to his Auckland mansion pending his appeals, which were dismissed by the Court of Appeal earlier this year.

Sir James Wallace in one of his often colourful outfits at the Pah Homestead. Picture / Babiche Martens

Wallace was ordered to report to the Department of Corrections at Mount Eden Prison on February 21 and is now serving his prison sentence.

Further appeals to the Supreme Court by Wallace have also been dismissed.

All three men were assaulted under the guise of career opportunities at Wallace’s four-storey mansion in Epsom, which he calls Rannoch, a home filled with millions of dollars worth of art and surrounded by lush gardens.

Wallace has always vehemently denied the allegations against him and claimed to be the victim of the MeToo campaign.

Throughout his life, Wallace has funded some of New Zealand’s most celebrated arts and film ventures, including serving as an executive producer for Oscar winner Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

He is a founding patron or funder of New Zealand Opera, the Auckland Theatre Company, the Royal NZ Ballet and the ASB Waterfront Theatre - home to the Auckland Theatre Company.

Wallace made his fortune through a variety of business interests, most notably a meat processing plant in Waitoa.

Throughout the criminal proceedings, Wallace has continued to enjoy his association with the arts industry, has been involved in funding several projects and attended fashionable events.

A trial for Wallace was first scheduled for September 2017 but was postponed as police investigated the possibility he and others had attempted to pay off the complainant.

Sir James Wallace appears at Auckland High Court for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig

In April 2018, Wallace was further charged with a second indecent assault from February 2008 after another man came forward.

Wallace’s business manager, who continues to seek name suppression, and entertainer Mika X, who appeared in the Oscar-winning film The Piano, were charged with attempting to dissuade the 2016 victim from giving evidence at his trial.

The victim was offered bribes and promises of future work opportunities, including during what would later be known as the “Gold Coast plot” in May 2017.

Two consultants were hired for the scheme by Wallace through the manager to stop the case.

The PR pair were earlier revealed as the politically connected Jevan Goulter and his business partner Allison Edmonds, who both posed as New York talent agents during a meeting at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel in Queensland.

They were later granted immunity from prosecution by the Solicitor-General in exchange for their evidence against Wallace.

Goulter has worked with several political parties, including Labour and the Mana Party and in Parliament with Hone Harawira and The Opportunities Party. He was also fired as Hannah Tamaki’s Vision NZ spokesperson after attacking a broadcaster on social media.

An initial trial for Wallace, Mika X and the manager eventually began in March 2019 in the Auckland District Court.

After two weeks of evidence, however, the trial was aborted by Judge Russell Collins after a secret recording emerged of the manager, Goulter and Edmonds discussing efforts to dissuade the 2016 victim at Family Bar on Karangahape Rd.

The third indecent assault complainant then came forward to police after the aborted trial, resulting in another allegation from the early 2000s and further charge against Wallace.

The case was then transferred to the High Court and a trial was scheduled for June 2020, which was postponed to February 2021 due to Covid-19.

Just days before the trial began, Mika X, who stood for The Opportunities Party in the 2017 election, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mika X in the High Court for his sentencing. Photo / Mike White, Pool

Mika X, also known as Mika Haka, was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention.

The writer and director of the award-winning short film GURL admitted he tried to dissuade the 2016 complainant during a meeting in April 2017 and as part of the Gold Coast scheme.

The Herald earlier revealed while on bail, Mika X and organisations linked to him were granted more than $100,000 from the Government’s national arts and development entity.

Wallace and his manager were both found guilty at trial.

The manager was sentenced to 12 months of home detention and also had an appeal against his attempting to pervert the course of justice conviction dismissed last month.

At Wallace’s sentencing, Justice Geoffrey Venning did not hold back with his criticism of the philanthropist.

“Your inability to accept your offending is made plain in your discussion with a probation officer. You consider yourself to be a victim of the tall poppy syndrome,” the judge said.

“Your sense of self-entitlement is repeated in the affidavit you provided for sentencing. It displays a lack of empathy for your victims and confirms your lack of insight into your offending.”

Derek Cheng is a political reporter for the Herald and has worked in the Press Gallery in Parliament for several years, covering the Helen Clark, John Key, and Jacinda Ardern governments.

Sam Hurley is a news director and senior reporter. He joined the Herald in 2017 and has previously worked for 1News and Hawke’s Bay Today. He has been investigating Sir James Wallace since 2018.

Bernard Orsman is an Auckland-based reporter who has been covering local government and transport since 1998. He joined the Herald in 1990 and worked in the parliamentary press gallery for six years.