Woman on marae theft charge
A former secretary is facing allegations she defrauded a trust which manages one of the biggest marae in Taranaki.
A 47-year-old woman has been charged after money went missing from the Manukorihi Pa Reserve Trust, discrepancies which were first picked up about three years ago. She had the role of trust secretary at the time of the alleged offending.
The trust manages the facilities at Owae Marae, in Waitara, which plays hosts to several significant events in Taranaki, including the annual Maui Pomare Day celebrations and the yearly welcome for international artists who perform at the popular Womad festival.
Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Matuku said the woman was due to appear in the New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday.
She faces a total of 12 charges - six counts of theft by a person in a special relationship and six of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage.
Matuku did not disclose how much money was involved in the alleged offending.
While it had taken three years for an arrest to be made, trust chairman Dave Rogers said he was pleased to finally have a result in the wake of what had been a ‘‘very difficult’’ time for the group.
Rogers said the alleged fraud was picked up after a full audit was completed finances in 2014.
The audit was done at the behest of the trustees who had become concerned at the lack of reporting available at meetings, he said.
Once the financial discrepancies were picked up, Rogers said a complaint was laid immediately with police.
He said as trustees, the group had the ‘‘responsibility’’ to seek a prosecution for the alleged offending. of the trust’s A cyclist remains in intensive care after being seriously injured in a crash in South Taranaki on Sunday. The 42-year-old man was flown to Taranaki Base Hospital by the rescue helicopter after he was knocked off his bike at the Glover and Waihi Rds roundabout in Hawera about 11.20am. At the time he was airlifted, his condition was described as critical. Yesterday, a Taranaki District Health Board spokeswoman said the man was in a serious condition in the intensive care unit. The Serious Crash Unit was called to the scene after Sunday’s crash as part of the police investigation. The weather will dictate whether roadworks planned for Mt Messenger begin this week or not. Resealing work for the stretch of State Highway 3 north of New Plymouth is scheduled to begin on Tuesday but if it is wet, it will be postponed to another date. Ross I’Anson, NZTA’s regional transport systems manager, said people should check before they travel as delays were likely once the work started. Traffic management would be in place from 7am to 6pm, with a temporary speed limit through the roadwork zone of 30 kilometres an hour. ‘‘At critical times during the work, there may be some delays of up to 20 minutes,’’ I’Anson said. Electronic signs will be in place to advise motorists, who can also call 0800 44 44 49 for information.