The Waitangi Tribunal has directed the Crown to release more documents in the Ngapuhi Mandate inquiry.
Last year hapu took to the streets of Whangarei in protest over the mandate. Photo: RNZ
Hapu challenging the mandate of Tuhoronuku to settle the iwi's Treaty claims have alleged that the government had paid out about $3 million to the runanga-linked board.
The hapu said the Crown's investment in the mandate had blinded it to the fact that it was unacceptable to significant numbers of Ngapuhi people.
Their lawyers have asked the Crown to release a number of e-mails about the payments but until now the Crown had refused saying they were irrelevant.
But the Tribunal said a number of the documents may be relevant to its inquiry and told the Crown to provide them by 4pm today.
Two more days of hearings have been set aside for the inquiry early next month.