Wally Haumaha told the Herald he wasn't part of Andrew Coster's inner circle. Photo / File

'I was not part of any inner circle': Former Deputy Commissioner claims surprise over McSkimming 'cover-up'

Author: Joseph Los'e,
Publish Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2025, 8:15am

Former deputy police commissioner Wally Haumaha, who retired last year after 40 years in the force, has distanced himself from fellow former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming and commissioner Andrew Coster after a damning IPCA report into police handling of complaints against McSkimming.

Haumaha told the Herald he wasn’t aware of McSkimming’s affair, or the extent of the allegations against him, because he wasn’t part of Coster’s inner circle.

“Having retired of my own decision in January 2024 after a 40-year career dedicated to public service, I firmly state I was not aware or informed of the extent of the Jevon McSkimming investigation,” Haumaha (Te Awara, Tainui, Mataatua) told the Herald.

When asked what, if any, details he did know, Haumaha said “I have the full confidence of the Police Minister and the Commissioner who know that I had no knowledge of the McSkimming offending itself, nor was I privy to any information, complaints, or internal investigations concerning Mr McSkimming prior to or during my exclusion and subsequent retirement”.

Former Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha retired from police in 2024. He told the Herald he was not aware of the extent of the allegations against Jevon McSkimming.

Haumaha said when he was recently interviewed by the Independent Police Complaint Authority he told them he had been a member of the Police Executive since 2007, yet had no idea of McSkimming’s affair.

“My non-involvement extends to all aspects of this particular matter; I was not part of any inner circle privy to these details.

“Once my warrant had expired, it was time to retire,” Haumaha said.

Haumaha has faced controversy at times in his police career - in 2018, an IPCA report found his behaviour belittling and humiliating in one incident but it didn’t meet the definition of workplace bullying.

His rise to Deputy Commissioner was questioned when survivors’ advocate Louise Nicholas went public with her reservations about his appointment.

Mandeep Kaur receives her epaulettes from then-Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and then-Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha in March 2021. Photo / NZ Police

Haumaha had been close friends with Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum when they worked together at the Rotorua police station and supported them after Nicholas publicly alleged in 2004 the trio had raped her in group sex sessions.

They were later acquitted.

In 2018, Haumaha publicly apologised for comments he had made about her allegations, and said he regretted them.

A Government inquiry into Haumaha’s appointment to Deputy Commissioner concluded the process was adequate and fit for purpose.

Left to right: Mark Evans, Tā Kim Workman, Lady Tureiti Moxon, Andrew Coster, Wally Haumaha and Anne Waapu in 2022. Photo / Supplied

On Tuesday the IPCA heavily criticised the highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand for their failure to investigate a young woman’s repeated sex allegations against McSkimming.

Instead of investigating whether the claims could be corroborated or not, police used the woman’s anonymous emails as evidence to prosecute her for a harassment campaign against McSkimming.

She was arrested and charged under the Harmful Digital Communications Act in May 2024, placed under restrictive bail conditions and silenced by wide-ranging suppression orders.

The woman is still facing prosecution over alleged abusive emails sent to the detective who investigated her.

“Having retired of my own decision in January 2024 after a 40-year career dedicated to public service, I firmly state I was not aware or informed of the extent of the Jevon McSkimming investigation,” former Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha told the Herald. Photo / Northern Advocate.

In less than a year, one Commissioner, three Deputy Commissioners, three Assistant Commissioners, and at least two senior executives have left the police.

A police spokesperson said those officers made “personal” choices to leave or retire.

The report has now recommended a host of changes at the top levels of police, as well as three employment investigations for staff involved in the case.

Chambers this week confirmed three staff members are being investigated for their parts in what he believed amounted to a cover-up.

Victim advocate Louise Nicholas in 2018. Photo / NZ Herald.

“They remain in their roles while these investigations are under way,” he said.

An independent King’s Counsel has been appointed to carry out the investigations.

Haumaha told the Herald he is now focusing on community work, running The Lakes Trust for Te Arawa, working with iwi leaders and consultancy on Māori land, and with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities in Wellington.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and before joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.