Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has launched an investigation to examine concerns about integrity at Immigration NZ.
Officials at the country's immigration department could be sacked following accusations staff intentionally misled ministers and avoided Cabinet scrutiny.
An independent report released on Tuesday identified major flaws in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's handling of a biometrics upgrade project, resulting in a waste of more than $30 million by the time it was scrapped in December.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford was furious, saying officials deliberately withheld information from both her and the previous Labour government, and used "creative accounting" to avoid Cabinet scrutiny.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.
