Criticisms of Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha have drawn angry response by a Maori Focus Forum (MFF) aligned to the Police at national level.

Haumaha's position, following the approval of his appointment by Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern, was in jeopardy following complaints by three unnamed employees of Justice Corrections and Police, which led to an inquiry.

The inquiry found Haumaha had ‘intimidated' the complainants with Ardern saying the finding was insufficient grounds to affect his position.

The ensuing outcry in support of the Rotorua Haumaha friends at all levels resulted in strident comment from Rotorua district councillor Charles Sturt, with support from current councillor and former deputy mayor Trevor Maxwell and another ex-councillor Geoff Kenny.

Following a dramatic day on Thursday, Haumaha himself admitted to being 'bewildered”.

Before this comment, made through his lawyer, Gerard Dewar, one of the complainants referred to Haumaha's 'intimidating” behaviour.

Ardern says Haumaha's behaviour, based on the findings, was 'clearly inappropriate”.

But the most telling comments on a Rotorua based Face book trail came from Haumaha's daughter, Tayla, who reflected the family's distress and anxieties in the preceding months.

Today, Neville Baker, and MFF member issued SunLive with a statement of support from MFF, whose members include Sir Toby Curtis, Sir Mark Solomon, Dame Naida Glavish, Kara Puketapu and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi.

Baker says the group was responding to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, noting the allegations of misconduct 'made by three unnamed employees” had not ultimately been upheld.

Criticisms of Haumaha were also rejected by the group on the grounds that the findings were inconsistent with conclusions reached by Mary Scholtens, QC.

'The report appears to [MFF] to lack any balance given that the first two allegations were found to be untrue, or at best unreasonable, and that the report expressly ignores the conduct of the complainants themselves,” Baker says in his statement.

They noted that one of the findings of inappropriate behaviour by Haumaha was of actions his lawyers expressly advised him to undertake. This advice led Haumaha to seek support in his defence, which drew criticism from the National Party's Christopher Bishop.

'The lawyers themselves have reported to the Forum that they stand by the advice they gave to DC Haumaha and respectfully disagree with the finding that if such actions were wrong, they would be at least as much at fault as DC Haumaha,” Baker says.

Of the other two matters for which he was criticised, they say that the report shows that DC Haumaha himself raised the matter with the complainant's employer immediately after the incident in 2016.

At that time, he received a clear acknowledgment that she was the one at fault and a statement was made by her supervisor that she would be removed if her behaviour was repeated.

A refusal by the IPCA to disclose to Haumaha to disclose to DC Haumaha copies of the complaints or copies of any statements made to them was also a concern.

That the hearings were in secret and heard in the absence of Haumaha and his representatives was unjust, as was the fact that the names of the witnesses were also withheld.

Forum members had sought to speak to the authority but were denied the opportunity to present evidence.

'From this they conclude that the authority determined not to receive relevant evidence from people with first-hand knowledge of DC Haumaha's work practices and even worse refused to receive the cultural perspective the Forum wished to offer,” Baker says.

Formed in 2006, the Māori Focus Forum is a body of senior Māori elders. Its current Dame Naida Glavish, Kara Puketapu, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi members include Sir Toby Curtis, Selwyn Parata, Arihia Stirling, Chrisie Hape, Sir Mark Solomon, Neville Baker, Bishop Kito Pikaahu, Harry Mikaere and Paora Stanley.