In re: Colin David Rath
Shaun Brown made this Official Information request to Land Information New Zealand
The request was partially successful.
From: Shaun Brown
Dear Land Information New Zealand,
According to recent news reporting, the Overseas Investment Office allowed the American criminal 'Colin David Rath', who had already made himself notorious in his home burrow of New York by making a spurious challenge to the evidence brought by one of the many banks chasing him for unpaid money in the 'Nat'l City Bank v. Rath' case, to buy property and other assets in New Zealand. Since then, he has been caught and convicted wh\ile being American, and was given a prison sentence of more than three years in duration for his fraud in March of this year.
Please provide all records held by LINZ in regards the decision to allow this alien to invest in New Zealand, and any holdings within this nation he may still claim title to.
Yours,
Shaun Brown
From: Ministerial Support
Land Information New Zealand
Tēnā koe Shaun,
Thank you for your official information request received on Tuesday, 20
June 2023.
You can expect a response to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than Wednesday, 19 July 2023, which is 20 working days after Toitū
Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand received your request.
Please note, the response to your request, with your personal details
withheld, and any attached documentation may be published on the Toitū Te
Whenua website.
Ngā mihi nui
Thomas Baird
Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[1][email address] | DDI 04-460 2741
Wellington Office, Level 5, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[2]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[3]www.linz.govt.nz | [4]data.linz.govt.nz
[5]link to facebook [6]link to
LinkedIn [7]link to
Twitter [8]Link to YouTube
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From: Ministerial Support
Land Information New Zealand
Kia ora Shaun
Attached is a response to your Official Information Act request.
Regards
Pete Hill
Kaitohutohu Tumuaki Principal Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand House, 155 The Terrace
PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
http://www.linz.govt.nz/ | data.linz.govt.nz
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From: Shaun Brown
Dear Ministerial Support,
I'm aware that you usually make a lot of redactions in regards privacy, etc, but:
1) Rath is a convicted criminal.
2) Rath is a foreigner, not a New Zealander.
3) At the time of the 2018 decision, it was well known and entirely public that Rath had bilked a bunch of investors and financial institutions in the US out of money.
It is obviously in the public interest, overcoming any Section 9 objections, for the public to know if LINZ completely ignores the conduct of prospective investors in determining whether they are of "good character".
Assuming that you conducted a minimal look into Rath's character, you were aware of the court cases against Rath in the US and how they came about. Assuming that these were indeed identified by the LINZ employees involved, then what was said about Rath's previous legal trouble and your conclusions as to how he could be considered of "good character" despite his prior conduct is absolutely relevant. Would you care to disclose those properly, or should I go to the Ombudsman to challenge this absurd violation of the OIA?
Alternatively, if you completely failed to identify Rath's prior conduct, which was a simple Google/LexisNexis search away, I'd appreciate it if you could confirm that was the case.
Yours sincerely,
Shaun Brown
From: Ministerial Support
Land Information New Zealand
Dear Shaun
Thank you for your email of 6 July 2023.
We are currently considering the issues that you have raised.
We are also reviewing the information that has been redacted from the
Overseas Investment Assessment Report.
I will write to you again once we have completed our review of the
redactions and completed our standard third-party consultation.
Regards
Pete Hill
Kaitohutohu Tumuaki Principal Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[1][email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[2]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[3]www.linz.govt.nz | [4]data.linz.govt.nz
[5]link to facebook [6]link to
LinkedIn [7]link to
Twitter [8]Link to YouTube
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From: Ministerial Support
Land Information New Zealand
Dear Shaun
I just want to provide you with an update in relation to your request of 6
July 2023.
We are finalising our reassessment of the information previously redacted
from the Overseas Investment Application Assessment Report and hope to be
able to provide you with a response shortly.
We appreciate your patience.
Kind regards
Pete Hill
Kaitohutohu Tumuaki Principal Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[1][email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[2]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[3]www.linz.govt.nz | [4]data.linz.govt.nz
[5]link to facebook [6]link to
LinkedIn [7]link to
Twitter [8]Link to YouTube
From: Ministerial Support
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 8:55 AM
To: Shaun Brown <[FOI #23204 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - In re: Colin David Rath
Dear Shaun
Thank you for your email of 6 July 2023.
We are currently considering the issues that you have raised.
We are also reviewing the information that has been redacted from the
Overseas Investment Assessment Report.
I will write to you again once we have completed our review of the
redactions and completed our standard third-party consultation.
Regards
Pete Hill
Kaitohutohu Tumuaki Principal Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[9][email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[10]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[11]www.linz.govt.nz | [12]data.linz.govt.nz
[13]link to facebook [14]link to
LinkedIn [15]link to
Twitter [16]Link to YouTube
show quoted sections
From: Ministerial Support
Land Information New Zealand
Dear Shaun
Attached is a response to your request of 6 July 2023.
Regards
Pete Hill
Senior Business Partner / Hoa Kōtui Pakihi Matua
Ministerial and Government Services
[1][email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[2]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[3]www.linz.govt.nz | [4]data.linz.govt.nz
[5]link to facebook [6]link to
LinkedIn [7]link to
Twitter [8]Link to YouTube
From: Ministerial Support
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 8:55 AM
To: Shaun Brown <[FOI #23204 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - In re: Colin David Rath
Dear Shaun
Thank you for your email of 6 July 2023.
We are currently considering the issues that you have raised.
We are also reviewing the information that has been redacted from the
Overseas Investment Assessment Report.
I will write to you again once we have completed our review of the
redactions and completed our standard third-party consultation.
Regards
Pete Hill
Kaitohutohu Tumuaki Principal Advisor
Ministerial Support and Official Correspondence
[9][email address] | DDI 04 460 2784 | MOB 027 235 8389
Wellington Office, Level 7, Radio New Zealand
House, 155 The Terrace
[10]Toitu Te Whenua colour PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145, New Zealand
logo
[11]www.linz.govt.nz | [12]data.linz.govt.nz
[13]link to facebook [14]link to
LinkedIn [15]link to
Twitter [16]Link to YouTube
show quoted sections
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