'Dishonest, unscrupulous' Allan Hawkins banned as director

Convicted fraudster Allan Hawkins, pictured in 2004. Photo / File

Convicted fraudster and 1980s high-flyer Allan Hawkins has been banned from any management role in a company for eight years.

The order by district court judge Brooke Gibson was sought by the Commerce Commission, which had wanted 10-year bans for Hawkins and his son Wayne, for their roles in running Budget Loans Ltd.

Budget Loans was twice convicted for breaches of the Fair Trading Act in the past 10 years.

Wayne Hawkins had not opposed the application and was banned from being a director or being involved in the management of a company for 10 years.

Judge Gibson noted the only reason Allan Hawkins received a shorter ban was due to his age, at 78 years.

In a decision cited by the commission, the judge said the pair represented a "significant hazard to anyone dealing with any company they manage or control or are directors of. The public in general and borrowers in particular … are entitled to be protected from the respondents."

The commission sought the bans after the high-interest lenders the pair were involved in - Budget Loans and Evolution Finance – failed to pay reparations ordered in 2018.

The pair of companies were fined $720,000 that year after being convicted of 125 charges under the Fair Trading Act. The were also ordered to pay reparations and refunds of $91,000 to customers.

In November, the court heard that in some cases Budget Loans had repossessed debtors' property so extensively that houses were left almost bare. In other cases, it repossessed items that the company should have known were of low value, and dumped them.

Judge Gibson said Budget Loans used "high-handed and intimidatory tactics" in dealing with debtors and were "ruthless" in the way they conducted their operations. Both men were closely involved in the day to day operations, and while they knew repossessions were illegal "both respondents were plainly unconcerned and dismissive."

Allan Hawkins was believed to be one of New Zealand's richest men in the 1980s, when his interests included Feltex, Fisher & Paykel and NZ Steel.

In 1992 he was jailed after being found guilty of fraud and conspiracy as chairman and founder of investment firm Equiticorp.

Judge Gibson noted the "notoriety" Hawkins senior had already achieved in the 1990s and observed that little had changed in his character since that time.

"Although obviously not on the same scale, there was clear dishonesty and unscrupulous behaviour in dealing with debtors of Budget."