Serious Fraud Office lays 26 charges
A Rotorua woman faces 26 charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office, which alleges she stole about $1 million from 16 victims.
The woman was granted name suppression when she made her first appearance in the Rotorua District Court last week. She will reappear on December 9.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between July 2004 and August 2011 in Rotorua and elsewhere in New Zealand. They include 16 charges that the woman, "having control over property, on terms and conditions she knew required her to deal with property in accordance with the requirements of [the named victims] intentionally dealt with the property otherwise than in accordance with those requirements, thereby committed theft".
It is alleged she withdrew a total of $997,018 from investor accounts held for the victims - who included individuals, trusts and family trusts. The amounts stolen range from $7017 to $198,014.
She also faces five charges of dishonestly using cheques to obtain $75,000 and five of making false invoices with the intent to use them to obtain property.
A Serious Fraud Office spokeswoman told the Rotorua Daily Post no further details of its investigation or the charges would be released while the woman's name was suppressed.
The Serious Fraud Office's role is to detect, investigate and prosecute serious or complex financial crime.
Its focus is on criminal cases that will have a real effect on confidence in New Zealand's financial markets and economy, public confidence in the justice system and public service and New Zealand's international business reputation.