Cop who stole $68,000 can now be named as champion Muay Thai fighter Haimona Tamati-Te Paki
A former New Zealand police officer, Haimona Tamati-Te Paki, has lost his bid for permanent name suppression after being convicted of stealing $68,000 from a vulnerable pensioner. The court ruled that the public interest in identifying the officer outweighed the hardship claims made by the defendant.
Why it matters
The case underscores judicial transparency and the accountability of law enforcement officials in cases of financial exploitation.
The Waikato police officer who stole $68,000 from a pensioner he was meant to be helping has lost his hard-fought bid for permanent name suppression.
NZME can now reveal the officer assigned to help the vulnerable pensioner was Haimona Keelim Tamati-Te Paki, a constable stationed in Ngāruawāhia and working as a community liaison officer.
Tamati-Te Paki is originally from Whanganui and won NZ Police Sportsperson of the Year in 2022 after being selected to represent New Zealand at the World Kickboxing and Karate Association World Championships.
The Police Association magazine reported that he won gold in Muay Thai, silver in kickboxing and bronze in boxing.
In the Hamilton District Court in March, Tamati-Te Paki was sentenced to 11 months' home detention by Judge Stephen Clark on representative charges of accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and obtaining by deception in March.
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