Auckland Airport fraudster jailed for 3 years, two months after stealing $1.8M

Wednesday 9th November 2016

Former Auckland International Airport employee Teremoana Kimiangatau has been jailed for three years and two months after pleading guilty to charges of defrauding the airport out of about $1.8 million.

Kimiangatau, who had worked as an accounts clerk for the company, pleaded guilty in July to three representative charges of 'obtaining by deception', having worked at the airport for 18 years. She had transferred funds from the airport company's bank account to her own account after changing client bank account numbers to her own within the airport’s accounting system, the Serious Fraud Office said in a statement.

"After many years of honest employment, Mrs Kimiangatau let both herself and her employer down by committing this crime," said SFO director Julie Read. “In a position to see weaknesses in the system, she chose to take advantage of them rather than to see that they were remedied. There is no excuse for that. All employees have a responsibility to ensure that processes are thorough and adhered to."

Auckland Airport referred the matter to the SFO in February after sacking the employee and calling in the police. In sentencing at the Auckland District Court, Judge John Bergseng said the offending was "a serious breach of trust".

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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