Teina Pora's private investigator said he is "thrilled and quite emotional" after a nearly million dollar compensation boost to his wrongful improvement in 1992.
An extra $988,099 has been added to Mr Pora's $2.5 million compensation package to account for the lack of inflation adjustment, Minister of Justice Andrew Little has announced today.
Mr Pora was twice convicted for the 1992 murder and rape of Auckland woman Susan Burdett but two years ago the Privy Council quashed those convictions.
The announcement today brings Mr Pora's total compensation package to $3,509,048.42.
Mr Pora's private investigator Rim McKinnel said he "wants to thank the Andrew guy who's that's fixing it all".
"Tiena is more than happy. It is a lot of money. It's more than he'll ever need and he's very grateful."
Mr Little spoke about the additional pay out today.
"Addionally, Mr Pora will receive $45,000 in costs from his successful judicial review of the last National Government's refusal to inflation adjustment," Mr Little said.
Mr Pora was wrongfully convicted of the 1992 rape and murder of Susan Burdett, spending 20 years in jail, with the conviction quashed in 2015.
Mr Little revealed last month the Labour-led government would not appeal the High Court decision for Mr Pora's compensation to match inflation.
Mr Pora was compensated $2.5 million, but that figure was not adjusted for inflation. Earlier this year the New Zealand High Court found it was an error in failing to add that.
"Teina Pora was the victim of one of New Zealand's worst miscarriages of justice," Mr Little said.
"He was robbed of more than two decades of his life, languishing in prison for crimes he did not commit."
Mr Little said in a statement they were years Mr Pora "could have been working to build his future and his family".
No further claims or actions will now arise from all issues of the wrongful issues of Mr Pora, Mr Little said in a press conference today.
He thought Mr Pora would receive the money "relatively immediately" and it would possibly go into a trust.
"Teina Pora's case is pretty unique in its circumstances. Here is a chap convicted at a young age, having served nearly 20 years for crimes it is pretty obvious he did not commit."
"Who can put a price on nearly 20 years of a young life."
The figure estimated from the High Court case was between $600,000-700,000, he said, but the new inflation figure was calculated by officials of the consumer price index from 2000 down to July/August 2017.
"I took advice on that, it's been blessed by treasury... and that was the figure we arrived at," Mr Little said.
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