Businessman denies charges

An Auckland businessman pleaded not guilty to Serious Fraud Office charges yesterday that include attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The former bankrupt was remanded on bail until April 6 and suppression of his name was continued.

The SFO has charged him with two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, three of using a document for the purpose of obtaining a pecuniary advantage and with 20 of uttering a document - all charges have been laid under the Crimes Act.

A second man, who also has name suppression, is charged with the same offences.

The SFO alleges that at the end of 2002 and leading into 2003, the defendants formulated a scheme to prevent one of them being placed into bankruptcy by his creditors.

The SFO alleges the defendants fabricated a sale and purchase agreement and letters in support of a proposed property purchase, which resulted in the second defendant being a substantial creditor of the first defendant.

The SFO claims the men prepared a forged confession of a claim, an amended sale and purchase agreement and a series of 18 letters of correspondence between them.

The SFO also claims they used a statement of affairs and two unsecured creditor claim forms with the intent to defraud. They are also alleged to have filed unsecured creditor claim forms at court in an attempt to prevent the course of justice.