A former spokesperson for Māori King Tūheitia, Tukoroirangi Morgan, says funding for the king's office from Waikato-Tainui should be restricted to prevent fraud.
In Auckland District Court yesterday, the former private secretary to the king, Te Rangihiroa Whakaruru, pleaded guilty to five charges of obtaining by deception, and one charge of supplying false or misleading information.
One of the charges of deception was $27,650 for gastric bypass surgery that Mr Whakaruru paid for by including in an invoice for the king's own legitimate health costs.
Tukoroirangi Morgan speaks to Susie Ferguson.
