A Whangarei accountant has been suspended and ordered to pay $8000 after he misled the public by claiming to be a chartered accountant on his website.
Michiel David Bezuidenhoudt was only a provisional member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) when he held himself out to be a fully qualified member, specialising in such areas as auditing.
To become a chartered accountant, he still needed to complete three years of practical work experience and another three years of study on top of his tertiary qualifications.
In its decision released today, NZICA's disciplinary tribunal said Bezuidenhoudt had claimed to be a chartered accountant on his website and in a letter written last year.
Tribunal chairman RJO Hoare said Bezuidenhoudt "knew or ought to have known that he was not entitled" to do this.