Former bank officer sentenced on fraud charges

By PHILLIP ENGLISH

A 28-year-old former bank officer was sentenced to 80 hours of community service when he appeared in the Auckland District Court today on four fraud charges.

The court heard that Anesh Lal Budhabhai of Mt Albert was employed by the WestpacTrust bank where he used his knowledge of the banking system to create a fictitious account.

He transferred money into the account from the accounts of dead people whose names he found in newspaper death notices.

Budhabhai pleaded guilty to the four charges.

Judge Phil Gittos said Budhabhai, a former head prefect of Avondale College, had shown genuine and fulsome remorse for an "uncharacteristic lapse."