3 September 2013

Corruption investigation leads to SFO charges

Peter John Scutts (58) has appeared in the Auckland District Court today to face 16 Crimes Act charges of dishonestly using a document and one Secret Commissions Act charge of receiving secret reward for procuring contracts. The charges have been laid by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Mr Scutts is the former CEO of the New Zealand Wine Company Limited (NZWC). In March 2011, NZWC entered into an arrangement to supply wine to an Australian based wine wholesaler. SFO alleges that while in the role of CEO for the NZWC, Mr Scutts also received payments from the same wholesaler based on the volume of wine sold by NZWC.

SFO alleges that the NZWC Board had no knowledge of Mr Scutt’s receipt of their fees. The payments invoiced amount to approximately NZ$64,000.

SFO Acting Director, Graham Gill said, “New Zealand has a very good international reputation for low levels of corruption and SFO is determined this is maintained. Therefore it is always important to act as quickly as possible with investigations of this nature. In this case, we have completed the investigation within eight weeks.”

Mr Scutts has been remanded to reappear on 24 September.

ENDS

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