Man’s fraud ‘worst kind’
A former Canterbury Cricket marketing manager’s $180,000-plus fraud saw him beat dozens of community groups to lucrative pokie-generated grants, including children’s sports teams.
Mark Cini’s actions were motivated by greed, and deprived legitimate community groups of funding, Department of Internal Affairs gambling director Vicki Scott said after he pleaded guilty to several charges yesterday.
Between 2018 and 2020, the 59-year-old used his role as an indoor sports centre director to forge applications for funding.
By keeping his own name off the applications and having employees sign them for him, Cini obtained $182,761 of grants before transferring large sums into his own bank account.
He supplied his staff with invoices and bank records, and instructed them to sign accountability reports falsely reporting the funds had been properly spent.
“Within the gambling system, this offending is of the worst kind. It is deliberate, motivated by greed, and deprives legitimate community organisations of grant funding,” Scott said.
Air Rescue and Community Services approved the grant applications and owned pokie machines that were operating in a bar Cini also managed.
Its managing director, Barry Steans, said news of Cini’s guilty pleas to 39 fraud charges was “quite surprising”.
“We’re keen on sport because there’s lots of kids and we want to help keep them off the streets ... Those applications tend to do quite well.”
Steans said he met Cini several times when he applied for grants for his sport organisations. He didn’t know he was applying under other people’s names. “I definitely still have confidence in the process ... but of course if there’s people signing on behalf of others, it’s hard to prevent that.”
Originally from Australia, Cini, the former head coach of the New Zealand Women’s indoor cricket team, is a well-known figure in Christchurch cricket and indoor sports circles.
He previously worked as Canterbury Cricket’s commercial and marketing director, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was touted as a possible contender for its chief executive role in 2017, but ceased working for the association about the same time.
Cini previously operated the Action Indoor Sports stadium on Buchanans Rd, Hornby. The centre has since changed ownership.
He ran its central-city base on Iversen Tce some years ago as managing director.
Cini’s community cricket links included roles as director of cricket at North West Youth Cricket and a committee role at its parent club Burnside West University Cricket.
The Press understands that Cini was investigated after a complaint was made against him.
Internal Affairs searched Action Indoor Sports Hornby in June 2022. Cini’s office computer was examined and several quotes and invoices were found.
Between 2018 and 2020, he created 26 false documents and twice dishonestly used a document, the summary of facts states.
The total value of his fraud was $182,761. As a result of his actions, there was less money available for other community organisations seeking grant funding.
Of that figure, just less than $60,000 was granted to various clubs associated with Cini for just fewer than 2000 indoor cricket balls in total.
Each of the applications he made for cricket balls was granted. But only a fraction of the money granted was actually used to buy balls, leaving a shortfall of $37,410.
He made several other applications for grants for tournament entry fees, sport uniforms and professional bowling equipment that were granted, with large sums of money ending up in his own bank account.
Cini declined to make a statement when he was interviewed by police.
He also did not respond to requests from The Press for comment yesterday.
He will be sentenced on June 12. Lawyer Simon Shamy said Cini had paid almost $160,000 to a solicitor’s trust account as reparation for his offending.