Sean Robert Miller pictured departing the Auckland District Court. Photo / Kenny Rodger
Sean Robert Miller pictured departing the Auckland District Court. Photo / Kenny Rodger
KEY POINTS:
The last man facing charges over a multi-million dollar scam which became known as Powdergate has admitted his involvement.
Sean Robert Miller, a dairy executive, until last week had denied his role in a scam where false customs documents were used to allow milk products to besent overseas when the New Zealand Dairy Board had a monopoly on exports so it could control export markets.
Miller's trial was supposed to have begun today, but in Auckland District Court last Thursday he asked for a sentence indication, after which he changed his plea to guilty.
Miller pleaded guilty to six charges relating to being an accessory to presenting false documents under the Customs Act.
The Dairy Board went out of existence in 2001 when it merged with Kiwi Co-operative Dairies and the New Zealand Dairy Group to become Fonterra.
In May last year six fellow accused, who admitted the charges, were fined a total of $58,500 on six representative charges after the Serious Fraud Office downgraded the original charges from conspiracy to defraud to producing false customs documents.
Miller will be sentenced this Thursday at Auckland District Court.
