Former Chief Executive Of Dunedin Education Provider Guilty Of Fraud
September 7, 2016 | Fraud
A former chief executive has been found guilty of defrauding a Dunedin-based training organisation of more than $114,000.
Lynette Anna Collins-Watson, 59, appeared before Judge Kevin Phillips in the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday morning.
She was found guilty in a judge-alone trial of two charges of theft by a person in special relationship, and not guilty on three other theft charges. A further charge was withdrawn.
The thefts, committed between January 2009 and February 2015, totalled $114,432.20.
Collins-Watson was the chief executive of Arai Te Uru Kokiri Training Centre Charitable Trust, an educational trust operating in South Dunedin.
The NZQA-accredited organisation operated educational services and courses for students and provided a managed facility for Te o Aotearoa.
Collins-Watson was found guilty of taking $27,935.50 in Kokiri funds to pay herself or her daughter for cleaning work that was never carried out.
In a reserved decision, Judge Phillips said Collins-Watson made false claims for about 1900 hours of cleaning.
Collins-Watson was also found guilty of taking $86,496.70 from in the form of $432 weekly payments.
Judge Phillips said Collins-Watson knew she did not have the authority to make such payments herself.
Collins-Watson will be sentenced on November 23.
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- Article originally on www.stuff.co.nz
