Private investigator Nick Mayer slapped with final misconduct warning over false persona

A former detective turned private investigator has been given a third and final warning for misconduct after using a false persona to make defamatory allegations online.

Nick Mayer posted to Facebook using the persona and falsely claimed he was obtaining information for a client, making unsubstantiated and most likely false allegations, the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority has found.

The authority has suppressed its substantive decision, made final suppression orders for the names of the complainants, the Facebook persona, Mayer’s relationship with the complainants and others named in the decision.

Mayer has acknowledged the penalty and says he will comply with the orders but has defended his actions.

“My conduct was found to have occurred outside the course of my business, which is why cancellation of my licence was never an available penalty,” he told NZME.