Finance manager pleas guilty to more fraud charges

Finance manager Hemo Thompson pleas guilty to more fraud charges

The former finance manager of a Hamilton-based social services provider has pleaded guilty to an additional 99 fraud charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office.

Hemo Kerewai Thompson (58) entered the guilty plea in the Hamilton District Court bringing the total number of Crimes Act offences that she has admitted in the prosecution to 167.

The former employee of the tax-payer funded Raukura Waikato Social Services Trust (RWSS) had in an earlier Court appearance in March pleaded guilty to 67 charges of ‘Theft in a Special Relationship’ and one charge of ‘Obtaining by Deception’. The plea today was to charges of ‘Theft in a Special Relationship’.

Ms Thompson obtained about $175,000 from RWSS over a four year period from November 2010 to February 2015 and disguised the activity as genuine expenditure. RWSS is currently in liquidation.

SFO Director, Julie Read said “Hemo Thompson had control over the Raukura funds and knew the terms upon which she was allowed to deal with those funds. She intentionally departed from those terms to conduct this activity for her own personal benefit at the cost of those who were intended to benefit from the trust’s work.”

Ms Thompson has been granted bail and is scheduled for sentencing at the Hamilton District Court on 13 July 2018.

ENDS

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