The Electoral Commission has handed investigation of National MP for New Plymouth David MacLeod’s failure to report $178,394 in donations to police.
In a statement on Friday, the Commission said MacLeod’s original candidate return for the 2023 General Election on 13 February 2024 disclosed $29,268 in donations from seven separate donors.
David MacLeod Photo: RNZ
“On 20 May 2024, the Commission received an amended return. The total donations disclosed in the amended return are $207,662 from 24 separate donors.”
He said he thought the return he was filing was for the 2023 year only, so left out 18 donation he had received when he became a candidate the previous year.
He also failed to disclose a $10,000 donation from 2023, which he said was a mistake he could not explain.
He said he “always fully intended for these donations to be made public” and had never tried to hide them, having written to all donors indicating amounts over $1500 would be disclosed.
The Commission confirmed the matter had been referred to police. It previously said this would be done “if in our view there has been a breach of the Electoral Act”.
“As this matter is now with the Police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further.”
Police will now investigate whether laws were broken, and consider any possible prosecution.
If it is won by a single person, it will be the largest prize in Lotto’s history.
Lotto head of corporate communications Lucy Fullarton said no matter what, the jackpot would not roll over.
“Well our game rules say that if the jackpot gets to $50m it can’t rollover – it has to be won that night,” Fullarton said.
“So if it’s not won by a single ticket – if no one single person gets all seven numbers right – then it rolls down to the next division and if it’s more than one person it’s shared equally between them.”
It is only the third time a must-be-won draw of $50m had been reached.
Tickets were selling well, Fullarton said.
“It looks like we’re on track to have about two million sold for Saturday’s draw, which is a lot more than we sold on Wednesday … 1.7 million.”
The first Powerball $50m jackpot was struck in February 2020, when two winners won $25.1m each.
Another $50m must-be-won draw then took place six months later in August 2020 with the prize rolling down to Powerball Second Division.
It was shared by 10 winners, who each received $5.02m.
The drugs seized by police. Photo: Supplied / Police
Two men who allegedly flew to New Zealand from Australia to pick up $7.65 million worth of cocaine have been arrested.
Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said the men were found on 1 June at a commercial address in Auckland’s Onehunga.
They were arrested after they allegedly attempted to break into a container where 17 kilograms of cocaine had been placed.
Gollan said the men were believed to be members of an organised crime syndicate and that they only came to New Zealand to pick up the drugs.
One man is an Australian national while the other is New Zealand-born but living in Australia.
Gollan said they were arrested as they left the container yard on electric scooters.
The drugs were concealed in a container, police say. Photo: Supplied / Police
“They left behind a ladder they had transported to the yards by way of the scooters.
“Both men, aged 33 and 42, have since been charged with burglary and the possession for supply of cocaine.”
An investigation has shown the container made its way to New Zealand from Brazil, having transited through Brisbane in Australia before arriving at the Port of Auckland in late May.
Police said the value of the cocaine was $7.65m but it was not known if it was meant for the New Zealand or Australian market.
“This is the 26th TNOC Operational Cell that has been identified and dismantled since 2017,” Gollan said.
“It is disconcerting to see overseas transnational organised groups insert their people into New Zealand to facilitate these crimes and demonstrates their willingness to profit from community misery.
“While these TNOC groups continue to evolve and adapt their offending to avoid detection, but so do we, and yet again we were one rung ahead of them.”
Customs manager Dominic Adams said the “successful seizure” showed partner agencies like police and Customs are always one step ahead of criminal groups.
“We are ever-vigilant to stopping the harm that dangerous substances such as cocaine can cause our communities.”
The two men have appeared in the Auckland District Court and will next appear on 25 June.
A house has been shot at in Auckland’s Onehunga, while there was also a second gunfire incident in Māngere East overnight.
Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Officers were called to reports of gunfire on Haddon Street in Māngere at about 11pm.
There is a large police presence at the scene this morning, and a number of bullet holes can be seen in the window of the house.
A nearby resident said the shooting had come out of the blue and was worrying, especially for those with children.
“It’s a worry what’s happening in the community,” he said.
Police say no injuries have been reported, and anyone with information should get in contact.
Police at the scene in Māngere this morning. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
It was the second shooting at an Auckland property overnight, with another house shot at in Onehunga earlier in the evening.
Officers were called to an an address on Ahuwhenua Crescent after receiving reports of gunshots about 10.30pm.
“Thankfully, no injuries have been reported in relation to this matter,” Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend of the Auckland City crime squad said.
The suspected offenders had left the area before officers arrived on the scene.
However, police were following leads “which includes reviewing a significant amount of available CCTV footage in and around the area”.
An RNZ reporter at the scene could see an apple sized hole in the garage door of one of the apartments.
The apartment that was shot at. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Neighbour Dani was visiting her sister at the time of the incident.
“There was a massive bang like a massive shot. At first we thought it was just like metal or something like that but once we came outside the neighbours came up and said there were men with rifles who had shot through the garage of next door,” she said.
Her sister had lived at her house for two years and nothing similar had happened before.
Another resident said it was usually a very quiet area.
There would be more officers in the area during the day, Friend said.
There are also reports of a second incident involving gunshots occurred in Haddon St in Māngere East shortly after 11pm.
An RNZ reporter at the scene said stickers on the windows show where the gunshots had hit the house.
Police have not commented on this incident so far on Thursday.
Police said they wanted to speak to anyone in the area or who had information.
Maria Contreras Huerta is an apprentice plumber at Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services. Photo: RNZ/Libby Kirkby-McLeod
Maria Contreras Huerta is in her last year as an apprentice plumber at Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services. Along with being this year’s winner of the 2024 Plumbing Awards overall apprentice prize, she has been nominated for a National Association of Women in Construction excellence award.
There were no other girls in her Wintec training classes and she is the first female apprentice at her company.
In total, women only make up about 5 percent of the plumbing industry.
“Obviously I did know there’s not much females in plumbing, but I honestly didn’t really care about that aspect, I just really wanted to do plumbing,” Contreras Huerta said.
Her workplace had been very supportive, and she was optimistic that the number of women in the trade would grow, especially if the industry could make it more obvious that it welcomed them.
“Even like trade events around schools, instead of just having a guy there, or a boss there, have two different apprentices,” she suggested.
For some young women, it may be intimidating to approach tradesmen, she said. However, she met her boss Dave Strong for the first time at her school’s career day fair.
Strong hired Contreras Huerta as an apprentice and said she had everything he expected of his apprentices – she was proactive, enthusiastic, and had a good attitude.
He has been a plumber for 42 years and often has apprentices. At present his company has five, including Maria.
“It’s the only way the industry will survive is by training new people in. I’m going to retire one day so someone’s got to take my place and you can only do it by training people,” he said.
According to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, the average age of certifying plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers is 49.
Strong had seen many changes in the industry, and different approaches to attracting people into the workforce, including the establishment of apprentice training organisation MasterLink.
“When they first started 25 years ago you couldn’t get apprentices. You had industry wanting to train, but schools weren’t keen on having kids becoming tradespeople.”
Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services managing director Dave Strong. Photo: RNZ/Libby Kirkby-McLeod
MasterLink is owned by Master Plumbers and specialises in plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeships. It sends local apprentices to Wintec for block course training.
Plumbing teacher Daniel Kotze said people needed to remember that plumbing was a lifeline service.
“I think it’s a necessary job in our community. To be able to have drinking water is very important, and also for personal hygiene, that’s what plumbers and drainlayers bring to the table.”
Wintec plumbing team leader Amy Opperman organises a Wāhine in Trades event each year to highlight women succeeding in the industry.
She believed the industry and the public were open to seeing more women in trades.
“Business owners will actually get in touch with us here and say ‘I’d really like to see if there are any females available to join our team’,” she said.
She had been told many customers liked to deal with women tradespeople.
Contreras Huerta said she had found that too – older women living alone especially appreciated her turning up, she said.
“You are going into someone else’s life pretty much, your home is something very private to you.”
She said training as a plumber had affected many areas of her life.
“Before my apprenticeship I wasn’t that confident, but I’ve built confidence and I’m stronger in myself mentally and physically,” she said.
And she said plumbing was not just about unclogging toilets.
“Everyone thinks it’s about poop and human faeces! There is so much variety, and there’s way wider aspects of it, and you can always specialise in something. You don’t have to go into plumbing, you can specialise in gasfitting, or even drainlaying.”
The Tongan community in Aotearoa is being warned after claims a Tongan licensed immigration consultant was allegedly demanding payments in return for fake job offers.
Sālote Heletā Lilo says she had been receiving complaints about the scam. Photo/Facebook
It has been alleged that the consultant’s clients were paying for these job-offers to assist their immigration applications.
A legal expert has previously warned that an employer or a recruiter in New Zealand cannot charge people for job offers.
Experienced Licensed Immigration Advisor Sālote Heletā Lilo made the claim this morning, but provided no further details. She said the man had just left for Australia.
Lilo said she had been receiving complaints about the consultancy in question. She identified the suburb at which the consultancy was based in her Facebook page. Kaniva News has decided not to publish it. We have been unable to contact the accused.
Lilo called on those who fell victim to the alleged scam to contact her office for assistance.
“I appeal to those who were affected by this scam to contact me as soon as possible so we can contact Immigration New Zealand to assist you and your family”, she said in Tongan.
The revelation came after the Immigration Advisors Authority (IAA) investigated an elaborate passport scheme involving a South Auckland Tongan church promising residency for cash in 2021.
In that scam, over-stayers and those wanting residency were told if they joined the church and paid $500 per person or $800 per family a High Court judge would sign off on their residency.
Reverend Tevita Paipa, who helped collect passports and money from over-stayers, told 1 NEWS he would give an interview about it, but had to pray and fast first.
Fake Job offers
Fake visas and offers to sell jobs in New Zealand are not new.
In February, migrant workers were urged to educate their family and friends overseas if they spotted potential immigration scams.
“An employer or a recruiter can’t charge you for a job”, Senior Investigator Helen Garratt was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying.
Garratt said a general rule to follow was that if a job offer in New Zealand sounded too good to be true, it probably is. However, there were specific signs that people could watch out for to protect themselves from falling prey to a scam.
“So beware of offers asking you to pay a large sum of money in return for a visa and a job. Also, paying a sum to have your visa application fast-tracked is another sign the offer could be a scam,” Garratt said.
Last year a Licensed Immigration Advisor was arrested after they become involved in a scam selling false job offers to offshore migrants and fraudulently obtaining work visas through Immigration New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa category.
The scam required migrants to pay between NZ$20-$40,000 for a job and a visa. Upon arriving in New Zealand, they found the jobs did not exist. They were subsequently housed in overcrowded properties.
The adviser was charged with two counts of providing false and misleading information to Immigration New Zealand, an offence under section 342(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 2009 which carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and/or a $100,000 fine.
Immigration consultancy law
Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 anyone giving immigration advice must have a licence unless they are exempt. Exempt people include lawyers with a current New Zealand practising certificate and Citizens Advice Bureaux staff among others.
The Authority is independent of Immigration New Zealand and cannot give immigration advice or influence a visa application.
The Sandringham man was last seen on CCTV leaving New World Mount Roskill on 27 April. Earlier that day, Okeke attempted to call his wife, who is based overseas. The call went unanswered.
He was then reported missing on 3 May.
Ronny Okeke was last seen on CCTV leaving New World Mount Roskill on 27 April. Photo: Supplied / Police
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said police were continuing to try and piece together Okeke’s disappearance and were keeping an open mind about the circumstances surrounding the case.
“This is still a missing person’s inquiry, but naturally we have serious concerns for Ronny given the length of time since he was last heard from,” Baldwin said.
In a fresh appeal, police were asking for dashcam footage captured between the Kaimai Ranges and Ramarama in south Auckland between 10pm on 27 April and 7pm on 28 April.
Police specifically wanted footage from people travelling between the Kaimai Summit Loop Track and Ramarama during those times.
“We would also ask anyone who stopped at a lay-by between these locations with footage to contact us,” Baldwin said.
“We understand that this is a broad request, but we are appealing to anyone with footage to make contact with us, so that we can establish whether it may be relevant to the inquiry.”
Police could be contacted by calling 105 or going on its website, quoting file number 240501/3879.
Information could also be given anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced nearly $27 million for projects in Fiji and removing the need for transit visas for Fijians entering New Zealand.
It follows a leader-to-leader meeting between Luxon and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka in Fiji, as part of the New Zealand prime minister’s first trip to the Pacific.
The two countries have also set a goal of boosting two-way trade — currently about $1.4b a year — to $2b a year by 2030.
The projects announced today are funded from New Zealand’s International Development Cooperation programme, and include:
A further $3.6m to Fiji’s Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund
$572,000 for an upgrade to the High Temperature Forced Air (HTFA) Facility at Nadi International Airport alongside Australia, to help Fijian horticultural exporters meet New Zealand’s strict biosecurity requirements
$15.3m for a New Zealand Plant and Food Research-led programme to support farmers in five Pacific countries including Fiji adapt to the impacts of climate change on production
$7.5m for the Fiji government’s economic reform programme, which is focused on improving fiscal management, sustainability and economic resilience.
Luxon and Rabuka, who has been Fiji’s Prime Minister since 2022, also released a joint statement recognising the “deep and broad historical, cultural, and people-to-people connections” between the two countries and committing to refresh their Duavata Partnership next year, when it is set to reach maturity.
He said the change to allow Fijian nationals to enter New Zealand without the need for a transit visa was also a “tangible demonstration” of New Zealand’s commitment to Fiji.
“Many Fijian nationals travel through New Zealand to reach other destinations in the Pacific and around the world — we expect this will have a positive economic impact for the region.
“This change will mean that Fijian nationals will be able to transit New Zealand with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), similar to many other Pacific countries,” he said.
Luxon arrived in Fiji from Niue last night and presented a gift of a harmonica ahead of their meeting.
It appeared to be received well by Rabuka, who proceeded to play a few notes. Luxon said he had been told Rabuka was a prodigious harmonicist and hoped Rabuka would enjoy the gift in times he needed to relax.
The harmonica was one of three of its kind in New Zealand, Luxon said.
Rabuka’s gift was slightly humourous in nature, a playing shirt of the Fijian Drua Super Rugby team.
In the last round of Super Rugby before the playoffs, Luxon’s beloved Crusaders were relying on the Drua losing to make the top eight and qualify for the finals.
The Drua instead won, knocking the Crusaders out of the top eight and finishing a dismal season for the Canterbury team.
Luxon, who had repeatedly guaranteed the Crusaders would reach the playoffs, accepted the shirt in good but somewhat resigned spirits.
However, he said the result was for the best as Rabuka would’ve been “very grumpy” if the Drua hadn’t made the playoffs and therefore the Crusaders missing out meant potentially avoiding a “diplomatic incident”.
Māngere Bridge resident Kimela Kolo Piukana, 24, entered the guilty plea today from the dock in the High Court at Auckland, two and a half years after he was arrested at the conclusion of a lengthy undercover police and Customs investigation dubbed Operation Selena.
Piukana was alleged to be part of a group of airport workers who on several occasions in 2021 were tasked with secretly removing illicit drug shipments stowed aboard Malaysian Airlines flights from Kuala Lumpur and Air New Zealand flights from Los Angeles.
“The drugs were subsequently driven off airport grounds and on-supplied to other members of the syndicate,” court documents state.
The scheme diverted the drugs from being screened by Customs.
Piukana initially faced multiple drug importation-related charges upon his arrest in November 2021. He pleaded guilty today to a charge of participating in an organised criminal group that carries a punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
As part of the guilty plea, Piukana also conceded he “contributed to the activities of the syndicate by passing important messages between key members”.
Authorities outlined several examples in court documents, including a series of messages in January 2021, in which there was discussion of a “test bag” being used to try out the scheme.
“Tell him duffel bag with a photo of it and make sure the bag has a fake tag on it and to message once the plane takes off with it,” Piukana was instructed to tell the alleged syndicate leader.
Authorities intercepted a message months later in which Piukana told another alleged syndicate member that a shipment had been delayed and would be coming a different day.
The agreed summary of facts for Piukana’s guilty plea does not list specific amounts of methamphetamine that were smuggled into New Zealand, other than to state they were “commercial quantities”.
Police alleged at the time of Piukana’s arrest that the group had either successfully smuggled or tried to smuggle roughly 500kg of methamphetamine. While the cost of methamphetamine can fluctuate wildly, that amount has been described by police in prior drug import cases as having a value of between $50 million and $90 million in New Zealand — considered one of the most profitable meth markets in the world.
“This type of offending is highly concerning not only because of the harm drugs are doing to the community, but the ability to place unchecked items into aircraft … threatens the integrity and security of air travel,” Detective Inspector Paul Newman said at the time of the arrests, estimating that an influx of 500kg of the drug on to the underground market would have caused “around $550 million in community harm … particularly in vulnerable communities”.
Customs intelligence manager Bruce Berry commented at the time of the arrests that the scheme showed a disturbing trend: “Organised crime in New Zealand is becoming more sophisticated … in subverting systems at the border”.
During today’s brief High Court hearing, Justice Mathew Downs set a sentencing date for August. He allowed Piukana to remain on bail until then — a matter that was not opposed by Crown prosecutor Matthew Nathan. The judge also approved a request by defence lawyer Benjamin Mugisho to not immediately enter a conviction for Piukana, who intends to seek a discharge without conviction at sentencing.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
