A former club treasurer in Whakatāne appeared in court 20 July 20 to be sentenced for several offences under the Crimes Act 1961, relating to the misappropriation of $65k worth of class 4 - pokie - grant funds.

The Whakatāne local was prosecuted by the Department of Internal Affairs - DIA - after she applied for and obtained money on behalf of a rugby club where she was both treasurer and trusted fundraiser, using this position to benefit herself rather than the community organisation she represented.

She was sentenced to six months' home detention and ordered to pay $13,000 in reparation. The judge noted the offending was a 'serious breach of trust”, and 'the wider community was also the victim as it was deprived of grant funds that could have been spent for legitimate purposes”.

Dave Robson, Gambling Director at DIA, says the successful prosecution is a win for communities, adding that 'our Department is committed to protecting the integrity of the gambling regulatory system and to pursuing those that are using pokie grants fraudulently or dishonestly.”

For more information visit https://www.dia.govt.nz/Gambling