Accountant pleads guilty to dishonesty

James Branton signed for supposed work to Fraser High School. Photo / Christine Cornege

A man who blew the whistle on a former high-profile Hamilton principal's alleged misuse of school money has pleaded guilty to dishonesty charges laid against him.

But he says he has not gained financially from any of the transactions he was involved in.

James Robert Branton, who is the former executive officer at Fraser High School in Hamilton, appeared yesterday in the Hamilton District Court as a co-accused with former principal Martin Elliott on five dishonesty charges.

The joint charges, which include three of using a document with intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage and two of false accounting, relate to Branton's handling of Mr Elliott's invoices during his tenure, which ended last November after a damning financial report.

The court heard how two invoices totalling $5473.90 were for work supposed to be done of the school's astroturf project in 2006 but were instead spent on work done at Mr Elliott's Te Kowhai home.

Branton, who worked on the school's finances for nearly eight years and later revealed Mr Elliott's alleged misuse of the school's money, was also charged for using a document with intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage.

He had signed-off an invoice to the Ministry of Education saying funds were used at the school when they were used at Mr Elliott's Papamoa home.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges and was remanded on bail but told community magistrate Ngaire Mascelle he had not gained financially from any of the transactions.

Outside court his lawyer, Stephen Williams said his client, a qualified accountant, was trying to get his life back on track and was looking for a job.

He said he would be making "a very strong submission" on Branton's behalf. "He has not gained financially and that will become readily apparent in the course of our submissions," he said.

Branton is to be sentenced at Hamilton District Court on January 21.

Mr Elliott, who is facing 61 fraud charges, three of false accounting and one of money laundering, will make his next appearance in January for a post-committal hearing.

The 55-year-old is charged with making false entries in school ledgers on three occasions as well as dishonestly obtaining 21 tax invoices from Thomson's Timber.

He also faces 31 charges of dishonestly using an ANZ business card statement. Mr Elliott now lives in the Bay of Plenty, where he has been working as an education consultant.