Auckland Transport worker gets home detention

Barrie Kenneth James George in the dock at the Auckland High Court this morning. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A former employee of Auckland Transport and Rodney District Council has been sentenced to 10 months home detention after he pleaded guilty to two representative charges of accepting undisclosed payments while he was involved in the letting of contracts and tenders.

Barrie George admitted accepting $103,580 in the form of cash, travel, accommodation and entertainment while he was in engineering and management roles between 2005 and 2013.

George had been employed as an engineer at Rodney District Council in 1974, rising to become a senior manager both at the local authority and at Auckland Transport. By 2013, he led the delivery of maintenance and renewal works. Rodney District Council was disestablished in 2010, becoming part of Auckland Council.

The case was brought by the Serious Fraud Office and heard at Auckland High Court.

Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton welcomed the sentence and said the internal investigation and subsequent charges showed the organisation's systems and procurement processes were "robust".

However, they needed to be continually monitored and reviewed, Warburton said.

Two other defendants, Stephen James Borlase and Murray John Noone are due to stand trial later this year.