Joanne Harrison has pleaded guilty to Crimes Act charges in relation to a fraud committed during her employment at the Ministry of Transport.
The former general manager of organisational development appeared in the Manukau District Court facing three representative charges of ‘dishonestly taking or using a document’ laid by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on August 5, 2016.
She will next appear on December 19.
Following questions raised by the ministry’s management team, an internal investigation found that suspicious payments had been made to various entities and the matter was referred to the SFO.
Entities associated with Harrison obtained approximately $726,000 from the Ministry of Transport.
SFO director Julie Read says the ministry referred the matter to the SFO at a very early stage which enabled the investigation to progress quickly.
“The ministry is now taking measures to ensure its processes minimise the risk of further fraud,” she says.
“Harrison’s actions betrayed her colleagues and we hope this case reminds other entities, both public and private, to review any weaknesses in their financial operations.”
