Bail for woman accused of leading million-dollar tax fraud

Katrina Rose Briggs. Photo / File

A woman accused of leading a group responsible for a million-dollar Inland Revenue fraud has been granted bail while she awaits trial.

Katrina Rose Briggs, who faces 273 charges, had been in custody since June.

She was granted electronically monitored bail by a judge at the District Court in Manukau this morning.

Briggs will be subjected to more than 20 conditions, including a special condition that she cannot use a computer or any device that has internet access, including smartphones and tablets.

She will also be subjected to a 24-hour curfew and have to make herself available to random drug and alcohol tests.

She is not allowed to have contact with any of her accused associates or Crown witnesses.

Briggs is accused of coordinating a group of 10 people who collected tax information by pretending to be tax agents, circulating in shopping malls, supermarkets and through family and friends.

The collectors are accused of receiving a percentage of the refunds for the names collected and some allegedly also acted as bank account holders, using their bank details to get the refunds.

Briggs' bail was not opposed by police.

The court heard 14 of her charges were expected to be struck out before her trial.

Her original list of charges included accessing a computer for dishonest purposes and participating in an organised criminal group.

She is due to appear again next month.