Unlicensed security consultant penalised

A 53-year-old Hamilton man has to pay more than $10,000 after he operated as a security consultant without a Certificate of Approval (CoA).

Anthony John Tuhoro, sales manager of Dinsdale, pleaded guilty in the Hamilton District Court (4 February) to eight charges under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 (PSPPI Act) of operating without a CoA. He was fined $1200 on each PSPPI Act charge. He was also ordered to pay reparation of $1100 and to perform 80 hours of community work for obtaining property by deception, a Crimes Act offence.

The Department of Internal Affairs’ Complaints, Investigation and Prosecution Unit (CIPU) investigates matters for the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority.

The Department said Tuhoro had a CoA, which expired in March 2010, and was declined a new certificate in July 2010. In September 2013 he visited eight clients of a company he had previously worked for to upgrade their CCTV systems and bought back one system for $1100, failing to pay as promised.

The Department’s Regulatory Investigations Manager, Gareth Bostock, said security industry licensing is taken seriously.

“Trained, licensed private security personnel help New Zealanders to be safer at work and in their homes, and to participate in social and recreational events safely,” Gareth Bostock said. “The requirement for licences and certificates of approval is there to reassure the public that people working in these industries can be trusted by businesses and by the public who need to rely on them.”

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