Mika Haka has been sentenced for perverting the course of justice.
Mika Haka has been named as the ‘prominent entertainer’ who perverted the course of justice by trying to stop a complainant in the trial of a rich lister convicted of sexual assault from contacting police.
After enjoying name suppression for over two years, Justice Geoffrey Venning lifted it today.
Haka was ordered to serve a period of 11 months home detention after admitting two charges of ‘attempting to dissuade and bribe an indecent assault victim from giving evidence’ for his role in an elaborate plot to convince a sexual assault victim to drop his case against the rich lister.
In sentencing Haka, Justice Venning said the entertainer was involved in a “serious, ongoing and cynical plan” to stop a vulnerable victim from giving evidence against the businessman, whom the judge added was directing the plot.
Justice Venning said the conspiracy, with “significant sums of money and the offer of significant inducements,” was done to ensure the rich-lister avoid a trial.
The rich lister did go to trial and was convicted last week on all counts.
Audio of Haka’s role in the plot is now available and shows the lengths he went to in trying to persuade the complainant to drop his case.
At one meeting Haka tells the complainant that he would “do the Mika fixing thing” and says there would be no way damages could be awarded.
“Even if down the track I thought about suing for damages,” the victim can be heard saying.
Mika replies: “What are the damages? What do you mean?”
The victim says it would be for the psychological harm the businessman caused by assaulting him.
“Can you sue for that in New Zealand? You can’t, you can’t at all … because that would be criminal,” Haka says.
Mika talks about Chinese investors, and says a well-known Auckland lawyer could help the victim withdraw his complaint and “get in there and do the Mika fixing thing”.
“Basically, I just think that sometimes the system is just so against you,” Mika said.
“This way, you can make the whole thing, if you want to, disappear and then I can do my magic…”
