A former Auckland liquidator has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for stealing more than $100,000 from two companies he worked for.
Auckland District Court. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Geoffrey Martin Smith has stolen about $130,000 from the companies while acting as their liquidator.
He was convicted in September after a judge-alone trial under the Crimes Act on two counts of theft by person in a special relationship and two counts of perjury, and under the Serious Fraud Office Act on two counts of obstructing an investigation.
The perjury charges related to documents filed by Smith in civil proceedings concerning the same liquidation activities.
The charges for obstructing an investigation related to the defendant's intentional failure to comply with two separate notices issued under section 9 of the Serious Fraud Office Act regarding the investigation into his affairs.
Serious Fraud Office director Julie Read said Smith had abused his position of trust to defraud two companies in his capacity as liquidator.
"He also actively misled the court in proceedings relating to those companies and obstructed an SFO investigation," she said.
"These offences resulted in additional public funds being spent to resolve this case. The SFO welcomes the court's sentencing decision which recognised the seriousness of the perjury and obstruction charges."
Smith was sentenced at the Auckland District Court this morning.