The ACT Party has released a statement after it was revealed today that its former president Tim Jago has been convicted and sentenced for abusing teenage boys in the 1990s.
Jago’s name suppression was lifted this afternoon, two years after he was charged in January 2023. Until now, the media had been unable to identify him.
Jago was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenagers he had been mentoring through a sports club between 1995 and 1999.
Jago had been the ACT Party’s president for nearly four years when he resigned after being arrested.
RNZ also reported that party leader David Seymour had been told Jago was a “sexual predator” nearly three months before his resignation.
Following the reveal of Jago’s name, the ACT Party released an official statement.
Here is the full statement:
“The events occurred 20 years before his involvement with the ACT Party began and there was no way of knowing about his offending at the time. This is not a time for politics, it is a day of justice for survivors.
“The party took the original allegation extremely seriously when first made aware of it on social media in November 2022. We took immediate steps to check the authenticity of the claim and questioned him about it. He categorically denied the allegation. We were deeply shocked to learn that the complaint was real and a police investigation was underway.
“We sought guidance and advice from Mr Paul Wicks KC as to the appropriate steps we should take in this situation and followed that advice to the letter.
“When we learned that Mr Jago had been arrested and charged, we asked at once for his resignation from the board and the party, and accepted it. He has had no involvement with the party since this date.
“Reviewing the party’s handling of this matter, Mr Wicks KC advised that the steps taken by the board had been proper in the circumstances, and that the board had properly discharged any obligations to the complainant and acted in accordance with the interests of justice.
“In the time that Mr Jago was a member and president of the party there were no indications of any wrongdoing.
“We respect the outcome of the court process and commend the courage of those who have come forward. We hope this verdict brings them some closure.”
