June 23, 2019
Waho vindicated in costly kōhanga legal battle
In a blistering judgment, the High Court has ordered the Kōhanga Reo National Trust pay more than half a million dollars in costs incurred by former trustee Toni Waho.
Mr Waho was sacked in 2014 for informing ministers the trust was not telling them the whole story about allegations of financial misconduct by trust members and the trust's commercial arm, Te Pātaka Ohanga Ltd.
The former Palmerston North principal brought proceedings to obtain declarations he did not bring the trust into disrepute and his removal was unlawful.
Justice Karen Clark says he was successful in establishing that, and he was therefore entitled to costs.
She described the trust as having a lethargic attitude to the serious issues confronting it at the time, and his advising Ministers of that was the right thing to do.
Justice Clark says Mr Waho offered to settle early in the dispute, but the trust refused the offer and subsequently racked up $1.8 million in legal bills.
That was taken into account when deciding the $583,000 charged by Mr Waho's lawyers was reasonable.
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