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A secret trust containing hundreds of thousands of dollars appears to be at the heart of a group of companies that are facing questions over the use of taxpayer money meant for education.
The ICU Trust emerged in an application by Case Boreham Associates, a teacher aide training provider, to overturn its liquidation.
Evidence to the High Court at Auckland claimed the trust had about $250,000, which director Robyn Case wanted to use to bail out Case Boreham.
The company failed this year with questions about funding meant to train students being used to prop up an associated property business.
Case said she had signing rights to the trust, which Herald on Sunday inquiries showed was the core owner of many of dozens of linked companies associated with Case Boreham. While she said she had control over funds, she denied being a beneficiary of the trust - or even knowing who was.
The application to reinstate the company failed.
During the application, the judge threw out of the court Case's "business coach" Shane Wenzel for repeated interjections.
Wenzel was also found guilty last month of operating one of the Case Boreham associated businesses while he was bankrupt. He was also convicted of wilfully misleading the Official Assignee's office, and other charges.
It follows Case's recent banning from running any company for almost four years after a National Enforcement Unit investigation into a string of company failures she was involved in.
