Licensing fraud probed at NZTA
Police are investigating alleged driver licensing fraud at the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), which recently sacked a contractor after concerns were raised.
The agency confirmed it was a suspected case of internal fraud relating to a ‘‘limited’’ number of driver licences and vehicle records.
‘‘In late November our internal processes identified serious concerns about the behaviour and actions of a contractor, whose employment was terminated within 24 hours of these concerns being raised,’’ the agency said in a written statement.
NZTA has engaged external assistance for a forensic investigation to help determine the extent of the suspected fraud, but declined to comment further while it worked with police to establish the facts.
However, Stuff understands the investigation centres on unauthorised access to the driver licence register, which is used to approve licences for issuing to applicants.
In February, NZTA announced a raft of changes it had implemented in the wake of reports that driving licences were being obtained by bribes or corruption.
The changes included closer monitoring of all driver licensing transactions at a national level to identify trends and potential anomalies.
Hundreds of drivers had licences cancelled or were required to resit tests and a trial of two men accused of taking bribes in exchange for driver’s licences is under way in the Manukau District Court.
The latest revelations come at a bad time for the agency, which is already the subject of two reviews relating to its failure to enforce transport safety regulations.
Law firm Meredith Connell has stepped in to oversee NZTA’s compliance work, leading to a growing number of suspensions of warrant-of-fitness certifiers and threats to shut down 20 trucking companies.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford has expressed concern at longstanding systemic problems at the agency and has also appointed the Ministry of Transport to undertake a review of its work.