The former chief financial officer of the Waipareira Trust in West Auckland has pleaded guilty to 15 charges of fraud.
Michael Tolich committed the offences totalling $190,000 between 1998 and 2001. The 55-year-old pleaded not guilty to three other charges of fraud and was discharged on them.
The court summary of facts says he did not benefit financially himself from his actions. It says Tolich forged invoices to try to cover up kick back payments for successful charity grant applications.
The summary says he admitted to John Tamihere, who was chief executive officer of the trust at the time, that he "dodgied up the invoices".
Tamihere also faced claims of financial mismanagement from his time at the trust but the serious fraud office did not charge him.
Tolich's lawyer Gary Gotlieb says his client may have suffered from the attention.
"It may be from political beatings of drums why people got involved and Mr Tolich has been the one left holding the baby and because of that had to acknowledge some unwise acts on his behalf but done to help others."
Tolich will return to court in August for sentencing which will
include a psychiatrist's report about his health.
Latest Breakfast Video
-
te-karere-121111-fri - te-karere-121111-fri (0:22:30)
-
Marae Investigates - Series 2012, Episode 13
-
Marae Investigates - Series 2011, Episode 15 (0:29:10)
