Ron Mark MP

New Zealand First

Deputy Leader
11 MAY 2016

Key Runs From Questions on ‘Dodgy’ Companies

New Zealand’s name is being dragged through the mud by dodgy bottom-feeding firms that are sheltering indicted criminals, money launderers and even gun runners, says New Zealand First.

“No wonder the Prime Minister cut and ran. We were just about to ask him about promises he made in 2012 to tidy up our naive company formation process,” says New Zealand First Deputy Leader Ron Mark.

“Take Dunedin-based Incom Trustees Limited. This company has five directors but only one, Nicolaas Francken, lives in New Zealand and the Panama Papers link it to indicted gambling billionaire Calvin Ayre.

“Only today the Macedonian Government placed into liquidation another company Mr Francken is a director of - Guardian Fiduciary Limited. Formerly known as Capital Conservators Savings & Loan it has a highly colourful backstory that does nothing for New Zealand’s reputation.

“Last year Santa Tereza Services LP was taken off the New Zealand companies register and it was revealed in Brazilian police papers to be a money laundering business front of Alberto Youssef, aka, Brazil’s ‘Black Market Central Banker’.

“How this government can beat its chest about transparency is a mystery when it only leads to phantom corporations, shell companies and zombie directors – people who rent their names out for as little as $20 a company.

“That’s why a Chinese citizen Lu Zhang was the director of SP Trading Limited – a Kiwi company caught smuggling 35 tons of North Korean weapons. Convicted on 74 charges her business experience was a cook within an Auckland Burger King.

“No wonder the government is refusing to comply with our Official Information Act requests,” Mr Mark said.

ENDS

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