Man fined $8000 for false licensing claim

People hiring an electrician are warned to check the person is licenced following the sentencing of an Auckland man who claimed he was a registered professional.

Naveen Kumaran was ordered to pay more than $8000 in fines and court costs after he was prosecuted for offending at properties in the Auckland suburbs of Manurewa and Papakura.

Kumaran had shown clients a business card that falsely stated he was a ‘‘certified electrician’’, said Duncan Connor, registrar of

Electrical Workers. ‘‘In the case of Mr Kumaran, he had full knowledge that he is not entitled to carry out any prescribed electrical work and continued to do so knowingly,’’ Connor said.

‘‘Pretending to be a registered electrical worker and carrying out prescribed electrical work is not only deceitful, but also highly dangerous for everyone involved.’’

Kumaran was sentenced at North Shore District Court on July 19 after he was prosecuted by the Electrical Workers Registration Board.

Also known as Francis Kumar, and trading as Kumar

Electrical Services, he was previously found guilty of charges laid in 2016 and 2018 for similar offending.

Kumaran continued to offend while the previous matter was still before the courts for sentencing, the board found.

He faced two charges of performing unauthorised prescribed electrical work; one charge of knowingly permitting any person to do unauthorised prescribed electrical work; and one charge of holding himself out to be a registered electrician.

Connor said that customers should check the public register of licenced electrical workers when hiring an electrical worker, and should also ask to see the person’s licence card.

‘‘This is to protect their safety and avoid electrical hazards that could have serious consequences.’’

The board would investigate all complaints about unregistered electrical workers, and poor or dangerous electrical work, he said.

In a separate case in May, the board cancelled the registration and licence for five years of Gary Rossouw, an electrical worker who held a licence as an electrician. He was fined $2000 and ordered to pay total costs of $2250.

That followed two complaints alleging Rossouw’s work was extremely poor, dangerous to people and property, and was completed in a negligent manner.

‘‘Pretending to be a registered electrical worker . . . is highly dangerous for everyone involved.’’ Duncan Connor