Charges laid for Auckland International Airport fraud

A long-serving Auckland International Airport accounts clerk who transferred $1.8 million of the company's money to her own account has admitted fraud charges. File photo

A long-serving Auckland International Airport accounts clerk who transferred $1.8 million of the company's money to her own account has admitted fraud charges.

Teremoana Kimiangatau appeared in the Manukau District Court and pleaded guilty to three charges of obtaining by deception.

Kimiangatau worked for the airport for 18 years as an accounts clerk but was dismissed in February of this year, according to the Serious Fraud Office.

The 53-year-old, according to the SFO, transferred funds from Auckland International Airport's bank account to her own.

She did this by changing client bank account numbers to her own within the airport's accounting system, the SFO said.

"Checks and balances need to be in place to detect fraud, and most importantly, those checks need to be taken seriously as opposed to treating them as nothing more than a box-ticking exercise.

Mrs Kimiangatau's responsibilities allowed her to pass invoices for authorisation many times and make changes to client information without being challenged," SFO director Julie Read said.

Kimiangatau is next due in court in November.