Former trustee going to trial
A former trustee of a Far North Ma¯ori trust that serves underprivileged people will stand trial next year, accused of stealing $1 million from the fund.
Stephen Henare, 60, who faces six charges of theft by a person in special relationship, was a trustee of Parengarenga 3G (P3G) Trust, which manages a 512ha forest on Ma¯ori land.
He, his sister Margaret Dixon and five other people were appointed in 2012, two months before about $1.1 million was transferred from the Ma¯ori Trustee to P3G bank accounts in August 2012 for management of the forest.
A further $54,480 was obtained by the trust from the sale of carbon credits.
The prosecution alleges that Dixon transferred $934,270 into various bank accounts, including personal accounts and family trusts, and that Henare helped his sister move the money out of the trust’s accounts.
He appeared before Justice Simon Moore in the High Court at Auckland in Wednesday, and was remanded on bail to a date in May for what is expected to be a two-week trial.
Henare also faces a separate charge of intentionally failing to deal with an additional amount of $149,627 in accordance with the P3G Trust order, and one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
His 59-year-old sister has already been convicted and sentenced for her part in the offending. Judge David Sharp sentenced her in the Auckland District Court to 12 months’ home detention after she pleaded guilty to three representative charges, laid by the Serious Fraud Office, of theft by person in a special relationship.
The court heard at Dixon’s sentencing that she had personally gained $130,836.
While not in a position to refund the money, she was ordered by Judge Sharp to pay reparation of $5000, which he described as a “gesture”.
He said Dixon’s offending was premeditated and steps had been taken to hide the crimes, including lying to the Ma¯ori Land Court.
Dixon and Henare are no longer trustees. The second suspect behind the violent robbery of an 82-year-old Kerikeri man was handed over to police by his upset family last week.
The two 17-year-olds appeared in the Kaikohe District Court late Wednesday afternoon jointly charged with aggravated robbery.
Tama Puhipi, of Mangamuka, and Rorana Mane, Rahiri Settlement, near Okaihau, both aged 17, admitted charges of aggravated robbery when they appeared in the District Court at Kaikohe on Wednesday, and were remanded on bail, with strict curfews, to December 19 for sentence.
A 15-year-old boy who was arrested on Tuesday after a police pursuit from Okaihau to north of Mangamuka Bridge has been charged with receiving the robbery victim’s car and driving offences, will appear in the Youth Court at Kaikohe. Police don’t believe he was involved in the robbery.
Puhipi was also arrested on Tuesday, apparently after being identified by witnesses who had given the same pair a lift earlier on Friday, while Mane was handed over to police by family members on Wednesday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Rhys Johnston said police knew who they had been looking for, but had been unable to find Mane on Tuesday.
“But we had good cooperation from his family who brought him in,” he said, adding that the family had been “most upset.”
The maximum penalty for aggravated robbery is 14 years’ imprisonment.