3 November 2025
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wel ington 6011
PO Box 805, Wellington
Phone: 04 495 7200
John Sutton
Email
: [email address]
John Sutto
n fyi-request-32513-
Website: dia.govt.nz
[email address]
Tēnā koe John
Your Official Information Act 1982 request, reference OIA 2526-0382
I am responding to your email of 8 October 2025 to the Department of Internal Affairs (the
Department) requesting the fol owing information under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act):
“Can you please supply the results of any audits or investigations conducted involving
Jackson Rao or Dawn Management since January 2019.”
Response to your request
There have been no relevant audits conducted since January 2019. As a result, the
Department does not hold the information you have requested. I am also not aware of any
other agency that would hold this information or whose functions would be more closely
related to it. Therefore, I am refusing this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act.
In June 2021, after completing an investigation, the Department commenced a criminal
prosecution against Mr Jackson Rao and other defendants for theft/dishonesty offences
under the Crimes Act 1961. This prosecution related to specific al egations of theft of
community grant funding (derived from gambling) that was received by members of the
New Zealand Pool Association and Mr Jackson Rao's specific role in facilitating this alleged
offending. In April 2023, fol owing the sudden death of one of Mr Jackson Rao's co-
defendants the charges were withdrawn by the Crown Solicitor who decided it was not in
the public interest to continue.
I am unable to supply any further details under section 6(c) of the Act, as the making
available of this information would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law,
including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial.
Accessing the Ombudsman
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my decision by the Office of the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Jeremy Cauchi
Director, Ministerial and Monitoring
