Andrew Robinson, jailed fraudster, pleads guilty to making false statements

Wednesday 30th September 2015

Andrew Robinson, a former director of Strategic Planning Group jailed in July for six years over a $2.7 million fraud, has pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements in relation to the same business.

The charges follow investigations by the Financial Markets Authority and the Serious Fraud Office into the activities of SPG and SPG Investment Company No 1 that began in 2012.

Robinson appeared in the Auckland High Court today and pleaded guilty to charges laid under the Financial Reporting Act, the Financial Advisers Act and the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act, the FMA said in a statement. The charges are for providing a broking service without being registered, knowingly making a false statement in his application to become an authorised financial adviser and two charges under the Financial Reporting Act of making false statements in the SPGI financial statements.

He was jailed in July after pleading guilty to five charges of theft by a person in a special relationship and one charge of dishonestly using a document in May this year, in a prosecution brought by the SFO. Robinson stole $2.7 million of investor funds to repay other investors and cover various business and personal expenses, then made false statements in investment reports to hide the picture from investors.

Robinson is to be sentenced in relation to the charges brought by the FMA on Oct. 27.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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