Assets of ex-pat NZ banker frozen

The New Zealander was working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia when the kickbacks were allegedly received. File photo / Getty Images

The High Court has frozen assets linked to an ex-pat Kiwi and former banking executive charged in a $2 million bribery case across the Tasman.

New Zealander Jon Waldron is one of two former Commonwealth Bank of Australia technology executives who allegedly received over $2 million for awarding contracts to a US firm.

Waldron, in his mid-40s, was charged in New South Wales in March with seven counts of "agent acting corruptly to receive benefit", involving almost A$1.9 million.

Both Waldron and his co-accused, Keith Hunter, have pleaded not guilty.

The Australian Financial Review in March reported that Waldron did not disclose to Commonwealth investigators that he had received $US1.1 million in a New Zealand ASB account from a charitable organisation whose founding donor set up the tech firm. Commonwealth is the owner of ASB Bank.

On the request of the Australian authorities, Crown lawyer Zoe Hamill appeared in the Auckland High Court today applying for foreign restraining orders to be registered in New Zealand.

These orders put assets under control of the Official Assignee for two years and mean they cannot be disposed of.

No lawyer appeared for either Waldron or Hunter, who were both named in the application.

Three bank accounts were referred to during the short hearing and ASB was listed as an interested party to the restraining orders.

The amount of any funds in these accounts were not referred to in open court.

The newly-appointed Justice Nicholas Davidson, who heard the application, made the orders as requested.