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Maori activist Gerrard Otimi - Source: ONE News -
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Police are investigating a fake visa scam and are calling for
people targeted by it to come forward.
Maori activist Gerrard Otimi, a man well known to ONE News for past
dodgy schemes, is selling fake visas to Pacific Islanders desperate
to stay in New Zealand.
Hundreds have been wooed to various meetings but things turned bad
for Otimi on Thursday night.
A meeting at a Hamilton marae was cancelled as has another meeting
on Friday.
There were angry scenes outside the Hamilton venue with a
confrontation between Otimi and opponents of the meeting.
Earlier in the day, ONE News met Otimi at another meeting, on a marae. Around 200 followers were hanging on his every word, convinced joining his hapu is a lawful way of staying in the country.
An immigration adviser's word held no sway at the meeting.
"I know it is a scam," he says.
The crowd at that meeting have what they see as a new immigration messiah.
"They've been whangaied into my hapu. Bye, see you later 'cause you cannot take my whanau away," Otimi, tells a ONE News crew.
The deal is very simple. You pay Otimi $500.
"We give them a certificate to say you are now part of our tino rangitanga," says Otimi.
You will also get a stamp in your passport which states you have permission to remain in New Zealand as a hapu whangai, which means you have been adopted.
"Their immigration as far as the Immigration Department is concerned with their passport is still the same," says Otimi.
Otimi is no stranger to controversy and to ONE News. At one stage he even created his own Maori currency. It's what he gives the new members of his hapu.
"That's theft in my view," says Pita Sharples, Maori Party co-leader.
ONE News cameras were also there on Wednesday night when a Maori Party representative tried to shut down a meeting.
"If it sounds too good to be true, it is," she says.
"You have to go through the Immigration Department like everyone else," she says.
In the end it was called off because of the sheer numbers who turned up.
Back at the marae on Thursday, ONE News continued to question Otimi on the legality of his growing hapu.
He was asked if his hapu are going to run into problems even if they've got the stamp.
"We dont' know at this stage," says Otimi.
Sharples says he's disgusted that the group is deliberately fooling Pacific Island people,
And there's this message to overstayers from Mangere MP Su'a William Sio.
"If you have handed out 500 whatever money to any person for this particular stamp it will be off no worth to you. It has no legal staus. You need to stop."
But it's advice some people are finding hard to hear.
And more people were due to hear what Otimi is offering at a meeting at a Hamilton marae on Thursday evening.
