A former Tainui leader facing 64 charges of fraud totalling nearly $18,000 has been committed for trial.
Tommy Kuru Moana, aged 54, appeared for a depositions hearing before community magistrates Pat Oettli and Gary Moltzen in the Hamilton District Court yesterday.
His lawyer, Roger Laybourn, conceded that a prima facie case had
been established and entered a plea of not guilty on Moana's behalf.
He was remanded at large to appear again in November for a callover.
Moana, an adviser of Ngaruawahia, was one of 11 people elected to Tainui's 12-member ruling executive, Tekaumarua, in April.
He resigned from the body in June to prepare for the case.
The charges relate to the alleged use and altering of documents with intent to defraud the Maori Health Commission of $17,909.46.
Police allege Moana used Eftpos, credit card and other receipts to falsely claim allowances and other benefits during his tenure as executive director of the commission between September 1997 and last December.
All but six of the charges relate to false travel and expense claims and the remainder to altering the value of receipts.
The amounts involved range from an Eftpos receipt of $4.80 to an expense claim of $1415.
Police initially laid 23 charges against Moana in June, but have since nearly tripled the number of counts. Four new charges were laid yesterday.
Moana has worked as a consultant to the Waikato Museum of Art and History, as well as being an adviser on a Waikato police working party established to reduce Maori offending.
He has also been an adviser to Health Waikato.
