Court hears closing defence in Awatere fraud trial

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) case against former Act MP Donna Awatere Huata was based on the lies of a prosecution witness, her lawyer told a jury today.

Guyon Foley told a jury of nine women and three men in the Auckland District Court today the SFO fraud allegations against Awatere Huata and her husband Wi Huata relied on the lies of a woman who had admitted stealing from the Pipi Foundation -- a charitable trust set up by Awatere Huata to help under privileged Maori children.

In his closing address Mr Foley said the SFO for "some bizarre reason" did not review the financial data before laying charges but relied on the lies of former Pipi Foundation Chairwoman Katherine Skipworth.

"If the SFO had done its investigation properly Mrs Awatere Huata would not have been here," he said.

He said the defence did not have to prove anything as the Crown had brought the couple to court and the Crown had to prove the seven charges between them.

Mr Foley's closing address followed three weeks of evidence.

Yesterday, Awatere Huata was called a liar and a thief by Serious Fraud Office prosecutor Robert Fardell, QC.

He said of the $840,000 the Government funded Pipi Foundation received over three years, $170,000 was disbursed through cash cheques to allow money to be siphoned off for personal use.

That included a stomach stapling operation for Awatere Huata and paying the school feels for their children, said Mr Fardell said.

The trial was about the theft of Pipi Foundation money by Awatere Huata and her husband Wi Huata and the attempt to deceive by reconstructing minutes and financial records once the allegations became public.

The trial was not about Awatere Huata's work with the Pipi Foundation to improve the literacy levels of Maori children using a four minute reading programme.

The couple face four joint charges of fraud and one joint charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Awatere Huata faces two additional fraud charges.

Defence closing submissions were expected to finish today before the jury was given the weekend off. Judge Roderick Joyce, QC, was to sum up on Monday before sending the jury out to deliberate.

- NZPA