Labour accused of deserting Matenga

A Porirua city councillor has accused Labour councillors of abandoning their colleague, Hemi Matenga, after theft allegations surfaced.

Tim Manu sent an email to the council's four Labour-affiliated councillors shortly after he publicly called for Mr Matenga to resign.

The email was leaked to The Dominion Post.

Mr Manu wrote that he was disappointed Mr Matenga "seemed to have been abandoned" by his Labour colleagues when "he desperately needed professional advice and support".

"Whoever it was that put Hemi up to run before he was able to walk, set him up to fail."

Last night Mr Manu stood behind his comments that Mr Matenga should resign, and also that his colleagues should have done more once the allegations surfaced.

"I feel that there should be some responsibility put back on the caucus."

Deputy mayor Litea Ah Hoi fired back an angry response before replying to another email from Mr Manu with: "Don't email me anymore."

"He's an adult and he's responsible for his own behaviour. Stop treating him like the victim. He's not the victim. His previous employers are the victims," Ms Ah Hoi wrote.

About an hour before Mr Manu sent the email he told The Dominion Post Mr Matenga should do the "honourable thing" and resign.

Mr Matenga is being investigated by police after his former employer, Bodyworks gym, laid a complaint over nearly $800 that went missing during his 10-day employment.

The first-term councillor failed to account for $500 that he was supposed to take to the bank but instead took home.

He told Bodyworks the money had been accidentally driven to Auckland by his girlfriend.

Later he said it had been stolen from his car.

Bodyworks found another $259.10 missing after it audited its books.

Mr Matenga has since repaid the money and apologised to his colleagues.

The email was sent last Wednesday to Ms Ah Hoi and councillors Henry Smith and Taima Fagaloa – who along with Mr Matenga were elected to the council on a Labour ticket in 2007.

It was also sent to Nick Leggett who was a Labour Party member but had not run on a Labour ticket.

Ms Ah Hoi said yesterday Mr Manu was not a Labour member. "It's none of his business."

Mr Leggett said he was "perplexed" by the email. "He's come out and criticised Hemi for what's gone on ... In the next breath he's defending him and blaming a group of councillors who ran on a Labour ticket."