Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki claims police were forced to drop charges against him due to “damning evidence” presented in court, including recordings of meetings with top police commissioners and revelations of alleged political interference.
Tamaki faced charges for organising protests during COVID-19 restrictions but insists he was within his rights to protest under New Zealand’s Bill of Rights.
Tamaki said the case hinged on a recorded conversation with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha before the first protest in October 2021.
He claimed the recording showed the commissioners affirming his right to protest while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions.
“They affirmed it was my right to protest, and they agreed to protect that right, provided we kept within the COVID rules,” Tamaki said. “When the prosecution played that live recording before the judge, you could see them slump in their seats—literally, heads went down. The prosecution even paused the session because the evidence was so strong.”
Tamaki argued that the recordings demonstrated police support for his plans, undermining the charges against him. “It showed the top two policemen were actually advocating for our rights and helping us protest safely,” he said.
Tamaki further alleged that political interference played a significant role in the case. He said a Labour Cabinet member, Willie Jackson, contacted him after the police meeting to discuss the protests. Tamaki claims this revealed a deeper level of political involvement.
“This wasn’t just about the police anymore. Politicians stepped right over the top of Coster and Haumaha,” Tamaki said. “It became a political prosecution. That’s serious, serious stuff—political corruption at its core.”
He said Official Information Act (OIA) requests had uncovered emails between police and politicians, though many were heavily redacted. “We eventually got onto them and identified who was involved. Names, comments, and even video footage are going public,” he said.
Tamaki said he initially agreed to keep his meeting with the commissioners confidential. However, he believes that promise was broken when political pressure led to the laying of charges.
“What was a great meeting, with promises from the top commissioners, turned sour when politicians interfered,” he said. “They charged me almost before the protest even happened. That’s when I decided to go public with everything.”
After three years of legal battles, Tamaki said he feels vindicated but believes the public deserves transparency. “This isn’t about me feeling vindicated—it’s about exposing the truth,” he said. “The political interference, the emails, the recordings—it’s all going public. I’m not holding anything back.”
