Kia ora John Luke

 

Thank-you for your email.  The redactions to the documents provided were
made to respect Mr Lesā’s privacy whilst also fulfilling our obligations
under the Official Information Act 1982.  We also acknowledge the recent
public reporting of some aspects of Mr Lesā’s personal information. We
also value the importance of honesty and transparency in applications for
public appointments. 

 

The Real Estate Authority takes its obligations under the OIA seriously.
We will review our response and further consult on the information
requested. We confirm that we have a process for recruitment appointment
of CAC members, which includes appropriate checks and reference processes.
The terms of appointment that you have seen notes that the appointment is
based on an applicant’s suitability. If we become aware that false
information was provided, then the appointment will be reviewed. Our
internal anti-fraud policy may also apply.

 

In the first instance we will review whether there is additional
information that we can release regarding previous roles provided in Mr
Lesa’s application. You can then confirm whether the further information
noted in your email below is required.

 

Ngā mihi

Andrew

Andrew Tringham | General Counsel
email [1][email address] mob 027 252 4479
Level 4, 95 Customhouse Quay, Wellington
PO Box 25 371, Wellington 6140
[2]rea.govt.nz | [3]settled.govt.nz 

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CAUTION: This email message and any accompanying attachments is intended
for the named recipient only and may contain information that is subject
to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this message or attachments is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this email message in error please notify
us immediately and erase all copies of the message and attachments. Thank
you.

 

 

 

From: john luke <[FOI #32150 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 28 August 2025 11:38 pm
To: REA Legal <[REA request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Fale Andrew Lesā V3

 

Dear Real Estate Agents Authority,

Thank you for your recent reply,

Thank you for supplying the documents related to Fale Andrew Lesā’s CAC
application. I have reviewed the material and noted that a significant
number of words and sentences—particularly in the “Personal Attributes –
What you think you have that will add value to the CAC role” section—have
been redacted.

Many of the redactions appear to obscure the names of organisations Mr.
Lesā claimed to have been affiliated with. In light of recent reporting
and public disclosures revealing that Mr. Lesā has made multiple false
claims about his qualifications and professional history, I would like to
formally challenge the decision to withhold this information.

As it is now a matter of public interest, and considering evidence
suggesting Mr. Lesā may have provided false or misleading information in
his application, I encourage your office to review the redactions. For
example, the statement “my recent graduation from...” is now highly
questionable, given the Stuff investigation indicating he misrepresented
his academic background.

I believe that disclosing this information, with appropriate privacy
considerations, would serve the public interest and support transparency
in public appointments.

If you ultimately decide not to release the redacted information, I would
like to formally request a copy of your internal policies and procedures
regarding instances where false or misleading information is discovered in
an application for appointment.

Specifically, I am seeking to understand:

What processes are in place to investigate potential fraud in
applications?

What accountability measures are taken if an appointee is found to have
provided false information?

How such matters are reviewed internally to ensure integrity in the
appointment process?

These are serious allegations, and it is possible that Mr. Lesā’s
appointment was influenced by inaccurate or false claims. I strongly urge
your office to give this matter serious consideration, including whether a
further investigation is warranted, and to reflect on whether current
processes are adequate to prevent similar issues in the future.

Transparency, accountability, and public trust are critical—particularly
in roles that serve diverse and vulnerable communities. I encourage you to
review and, if necessary, strengthen your procedures to ensure these
standards are upheld.

Yours faithfully,

john luke

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Kia ora John Luke

 

Please find attached our response to your OIA request of 28 August 2025. 
Also attached are the documents referred to in the letter.

 

Ngā mihi

Andrew

Andrew Tringham | General Counsel
email [1][email address] mob 027 252 4479
Level 4, 95 Customhouse Quay, Wellington
PO Box 25 371, Wellington 6140
[2]rea.govt.nz | [3]settled.govt.nz 

[4]LinkedIn  |  [5]Facebook

[6]REA Logo

[7][IMG]

CAUTION: This email message and any accompanying attachments is intended
for the named recipient only and may contain information that is subject
to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this message or attachments is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this email message in error please notify
us immediately and erase all copies of the message and attachments. Thank
you.

 

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