Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
A Christchurch publican has pleaded guilty to stealing $180,000 in grant funding and directing it towards sports groups he was connected to.
Mark Cini, 59, pleaded guilty to 39 charges related to theft in the Christchurch District Court.
The charges were laid following an investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
Cini was the venue manager of Robbies Riccarton, and the grants were applied for on behalf of cricket related sports organisations Cini controlled.
The charges included forgery, theft by person in a special relationship and dishonestly using a document.
DIA Investigators said that between 2018 to 2020, Cini submitted false quotes and instructed his employees to sign grant applications on behalf of various grant recipients to obtain grant funding.
DIA director gambling Vicki Scott said within the gambling system, this offending was of the worst kind, as it was deliberate, motivated by greed, and deprived legitimate community organisations of grant funding.
"This behaviour is clearly prohibited and is an attack on the integrity of the gambling system. Where appropriate, we will continue to use the full extent of the law to hold those who engage in this kind of dishonest conduct within the gambling system accountable."
Cini will be sentenced in June.