Recruitment agency's checks on Davy were 'inadequate'

11.15am

Reference checks by the recruitment agency hired to assist in finding a chief executive for the Maori Television Service (MTS) were inadequate, a State Services Commission report has found.

The report for the Government looked at the engagement process for the firm, Millennium People, and how many public services used it.

The chief executive Millennium People found for MTS, Canadian John Davy, was sacked last month for falsifying details of his background.

He pleaded guilty in Auckland District Court on Friday to using a false document, his CV, to obtain a benefit or privilege and was remanded on bail for sentence on May 29.

State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham said in his report, released today, that: "clearly the reference checking carried out by Millennium People Ltd was inadequate."

"On the face of it, although the process for engaging Millennium People Ltd fell short of best practice on some counts, their proposal covered most salient points," he said.

"Reference checking, had it been carried out by the board, might have disclosed some inadequacy in services delivered to other clients by this firm.

"However, our own enquiries of public service departments do not indicate that this would have been the case."

The report was completed on May 3, when police had just started investigating Davy. Mr Wintringham said in the report it was likely matters to do with Millennium People's performance would be canvassed in court and for that reason "I would prefer not to pursue this matter further at this time".

Davy's guilty plea occurred after the writing of the report.

During Davy's appearance on Friday, the court was told he had seen a job ad for MTS's chief financial officer on the internet while living in the Philippines and emailed his CV to Millennium People, run by husband and wife team Wayne Ball and Makere Papuni.

Mr Ball interviewed Davy by phone on January 29 and during the conversation asked him to apply for the position of chief executive. MTS flew Davy to New Zealand on February 6 for an interview.

He returned to the Philippines and MTS asked Millennium People to carry out checks, the court was told. Davy was flown back to New Zealand with his Filipina partner and appointed as chief executive on March 11.

Questions about his education and background did not emerge until a New Zealand Herald investigation weeks after his appointment.

Meanwhile, Mr Wintringham's report also found 12 State departments and seven crown entities had used Millennium People in the past two years. In total, it found people for 59 positions and is understood to have been paid more than $450,000 by government departments.

MTS has received an Ernst and Young report which is understood to have cleared MTS of any responsibility for conducting security and credit checks on Davy, laying the blame with Millennium People.

The report, a summary of which is expected to be released this afternoon, is also believed to suggest that MTS could consider legal action against the company.

The final payment to Millennium People recruiting Mr Davy has not been made, the report said.

- NZPA

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