Allegations against Tapi Taio not valid says Audit Office

Local businessman Tapi Taio is convinced his political enemies are trying to pin something on him prior to the general elections.
Speaking to the Herald on Tuesday afternoon at the office of his shipping company, Taio revealed that the latest attempt to discredit him had failed dismally. He said an Audit Office investigation into three allegations against him had fallen flat. Audit had informed him on 25 August 2010 that they had found the allegations were not valid and not correct.
Taio said it was the seventh Audit Office investigation into his private business affairs and all seven had failed to be substantiated.
The three allegations set out in the complaint against him by a member of the public were;
-that he used Chinese workers brought in by government to work on his private business,
-that these workers were also used on the Murienua Meeting House project, and
-that aid funds were secured for the renovation of the Murienua Akaoa Meeting House project.
In relation to the Chinese workers, Audit Office found that when the indoor sports stadium was completed in late 2009, some Chinese workers remained behind and the last of these left in March 2010. During late 2009 several Chinese workers were seen working on Taio’s private business premises and they were also sighted at the Meeting House site. However, CIIC had no knowledge of any sports stadium workers being employed by Taio. It was found that in 2009, Taio and a Mr Guangcheng Nui had set up a local construction company called Antaio Construction with 76 per cent owned by Taio and 33 per cent owned by Mr Nui. Chinese workers were brought over to work for the company for a period of one year. Immigration permits sighted by Audit Office showed three Chinese labourers were engaged from January 2009 to February 2010.
The same workers were also used on the Meeting House project.
The Coordinator for the Community Initiative Scheme under MFEM’s Aid management Division confirmed the Meeting House project did not receive any funding from foreign aid donors.
The government’s contribution to the Meeting House project was $50,000. $40,000 through Ministry of Works in the 2003/2004 financial year and $10,000 through POBOC. The funds were administered by the Ministry of Works and used to purchase materials in 2004.

By Charles Pitt

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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