The council and MBIE say in their letter they are ‘‘extremely concerned’’ about how taxpayer money paid by MBIE has been used. The MBIE-council letter says they are also ‘‘extremely concerned about the ability of Ace to deliver [a] safe and successful’’ Challenger series and America’s Cup finals series. At the same time, MBIE said it was working with the council, Ace and ETNZ following the claims. A spokeswoman for Mr Twyford confirmed he had been made aware of fraud allegations concerning Auckland’s hosting of the America’s Cup. The America’s Cup begins with the challengers’ Prada Cup in January and February, followed by the cup final regatta in March.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 30, 2020 21:11 UTC