Trial commences for manager and co-worker accused of fraud

A Waikato manager and his coworker are being accused of backdating a document confirming a promotion and subsequent pay rise for a staffer, a jury has heard.

The manager and colleague face one charge each of using a document for pecuniary advantage.

The pair, who have name and occupation suppression, are appearing at the Hamilton District Court before a jury of three men and nine women.

In his opening statement, Crown prosecutor Duncan McWilliam told the jury yesterday that the manager and his staffer acted dishonestly when they backdated a document for a promotion and subsequent pay increase to avoid the organisation’s usual processes.

The document authorising the pay increase was signed off by the manager in early July 2016 — just days before he took up a new role.

But the Crown claims the document was backdated and has email proof that it was not signed until the manager no longer worked at the organisation and had no authority to give the staffer a pay rise.

It also claims his successor found

He [the manager] had no authority to authorise a pay rise for her, having left the [organisation]. Duncan McWilliam, Crown prosecutor

emails between the manager and worker in August and September 2016 that show he was in his new role when he signed off the promotion.

The document outlining the pay rise was not submitted electronically to a payroll organisation until September.

The first application was rejected because it was incomplete and it was resubmitted later that month.

The Crown also claimed there were documents to show the manager’s authority at the organisation was removed on July 22, 2016.

“He [the manager] had no authority to authorise a pay rise for her, having left the [organisation],” McWilliam said.

McWilliam said the manager helped the worker commit the offence by authorising the pay rise.

The trial is expected to run for four days. Four witnesses are to be called.

A manager at the payroll organisation was the first to give evidence and told how the document alerting them of the pay increase had not been received until September 7, 2016.

Judge Glen Marshall told the jury to keep an open mind.

Warren Pyke is acting as defence counsel for the manager and Sharon Green for the worker.