Investigation into Auckland Transport claim

Former senior Auckland Transport manager Murray John Noone, 52, faces six bribery charges. Photo / Supplied

Auckland Transport is investigating allegations of impropriety and a serious conflict of interest brought to its attention by the Herald.

An Auckland Transport spokesman said it was taking the matter seriously and further investigations and inquiries were underway.

The spokesman was not in a position to comment about the specifics of the allegations.

They are not linked to the case of three top transport officials accused of bribery totalling more than $1 million.

The trial of the three officials is set down for September next year and expected to last eight weeks.

Former senior Auckland Transport manager Murray John Noone, 52, faces six bribery charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.

His co-defendants have also denied the offending. Barrie Kenneth James George, 68, faces four charges of accepting bribes in his previous roles as a road maintenance contracts manager with Auckland Transport and, before that, as infrastructure manager with the Rodney council.

Stephen James Borlase, 51, has stepped down temporarily as head of Projenz while facing eight charges of bribing the other two in their capacity as public officials and four charges of doctoring hours worked by subcontractors in invoices to the Rodney council for company services.

Noone resigned as Auckland Transport's road corridor maintenance manager in October 2013, when the Serious Fraud Office stepped in after an internal inquiry commissioned by the council body.

A court previously heard the SFO alleged he accepted more than $1 million in payments, travel, accommodation and other benefits.The three defendants have been remanded on bail until trial.

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