Former rugby boss fined for fraud

Former South Canterbury Rugby Union chief executive Paul Treves has been fined $1000 on fraud charges.

Treves was convicted on seven charges in Manakau District Court yesterday after pleading guilty before Judge Christopher Field.

The offending occurred between August 21 and September 27 last year.

Six of the charges involved obtaining credit by fraud in the union's name for amounts ranging from $40.99 to $1381.99, to a total of $2826.26.

Judge Field noted Treves had paid back all that he owed and said he was a man of otherwise good character who had no previous history of offending. But he had misused his position to obtain credit and his actions had been a breach of trust.

Treves' defence counsel told the court his client pleaded guilty because he acknowledged he should not have done what he had done, and should have sought permission from the union before incurring debts.

The whole affair had cost Treves dearly, his counsel told the court. He had been unemployed for six months and a previously arranged job in Australia had fallen through.

But he had secured another Australian job and needed to leave New Zealand as soon as possible to take it up.

Treves told the Timaru Herald he was very remorseful for his actions.

"Obviously the experience was very traumatic and I am ashamed of the way I handled myself over the period concerned."

- NZPA