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The man behind Wings and Wheels over Waikato has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges relating to the promotion of the failed event.
Ken Ross faced 10 charges in Hamilton District Court today relating to statements and promotional material about the show.
The event was to have taken place at Hamilton Airport in March this year but was postponed indefinitely, despite ticket holders and sponsors having committed money.
Ross pleaded not guilty to the charges today and was remanded on bail but had to surrender his passport, the Waikato Times reported.
It was alleged Ross made false statements to Hamilton International Airport management about a supposed organising team and his affiliations with an international air show organisation.
Another allegation was that he attempted to deceive the public in a brochure by saying Airshow.co.nz had secured a US-based jet aerobatics team, "when this was not the case".
Other charges related to questionable sponsorship dealings involving the air show by one of Ross' companies.
The Commerce Commission, which was involved in an investigation into Ross and two of his companies, would also file criminal charges under the Fair Trading Act, the court was told.
The commission said in June that ticket holders would be refunded hundreds of thousands of dollars after it got a court order freezing Ross' assets.
It said there was about $65,000 that had already been spent and could not be recovered.
- NZPA
