Ngati Moko to sue ‘Koha’

Press, 25 July 1985, Page 17

Ngati Moko to sue ‘Koha’

PA Tauranga Trustees of the Ngati Moko marae near Te Puke are bringing a claim for $1 million damages against the Broadcasting Corporation. The claim follows the “Koha” television programme on Sunday evening which included shots of the marae. The trustees say they have lost mana by the showing of the shots which did not have their full permission. The producers of the programme approached two of the elders for permission to film “Koha” on the marae and inside the meeting house. Both had said they were willing to let the filming proceed. A meeting was then called by the programme

organisers at which five elders were present, but three of them did not have any authority for the Ngati Moko marae. That meeting also gave approval for the filming to proceed. A further meeting of the marae elders was called and instructions were issued that production of the show should cease and it should not be filmed. "I personally telephoned the producer in Auckland and received an assurance that the show would not proceed,” Mr Wihapi said. "That was about two or three weeks ago. Then I was horrified to read in last Wednesday's paper that the show was to proceed. “As of late last Friday we tried to get a court injunction to prevent the show from going on, but we were unsuccessful," he said.