The ownership of rare paintings that vanished from a Māori trust boardroom in the King Country is being disputed, as police investigate the disappearance of the artwork.
The Maniapoto Trust Board has laid a complaint about a number of items being removed from the trust's building in Te Kuiti.
The trust was still trying to work out exactly how many paintings have been taken but they have confirmed portraits of Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones, Dame Rangimarie Hetet and Dr Henare Tuwhangai were some of the missing artworks.
Rongo Wetere - the former head of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa - told RNZ the paintings were his and he had reclaimed them.
Rongo Wetere Photo: SUPPLIED
But Trust deputy chair Keith Ikin has disputed this, saying they had board minutes to prove they were the rightful owners of the artworks.
Mr Ikin said this had been devastating for the whānau, who were the descendants of those Ngāti Maniapoto kaumatua, and they were shocked by the events.
"Those paintings had hung in our Maniapoto Trust Board premises since 1989, so many whānau within Maniapoto are really saddened that this event has taken place.
"The board has a very different view around the ownership, a record of a board meeting from 1989 in our view clarifies where that ownership lies and in our view that minuted record quite clearly states that the ownership of those whakaahua (photos) is held by the board on behalf of all of Maniapoto."
The paintings were by the artist John Willets and Mr Ikin said this had been quite devastating for the whānau.
"There is considerable shock and a lot of concern. It's fair to say the news of this is only just sinking in with a number of our whānau at home who are at a loss really to try and understand why this has happened.
Mr Ikin said they have been trying to contact Mr Wetere to try and resolve the issue.
"Let's sit down and talk and lets find the right solution to this, I really want to understand his view and his rationale for what has taken place.
"I'd like to listen to him and hear that from him directly."
But Mr Ikin was clear on who owned the paintings
"Those paintings belong to the people of Maniapoto and don't belong in the hands of an individual.
"He was very much the instigator of those paintings being commissioned but it is also our view that undertaking happened on behalf of the board and those cost were met by the board," Mr Ikin said.
