Former minister denies allegations

Roger McClay. Photo / Richard Robinson

Former Government minister Roger McClay has been charged with defrauding the taxpayer of nearly $13,000 and almost $13,000 from charities he worked for.

Mr McClay, 65, appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday to face 56 charges of obtaining or using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage.

The charges relate to alleged offending involving nearly $26,000 between November 2005 and December 2008.

Defence lawyer Guyon Foley did not enter a formal plea but said that his client denied the allegations against him.

The former National Party politician was bailed to reappear in court on April 23.

He made no comment about the charges as he left the court, accompanied by his son, Tim.

Court documents show that Mr McClay has been charged with 27 counts of abusing the 90 per cent discount on air travel for ex-MPs, allegedly costing the taxpayer $12,930.

He is facing 13 charges for falsely claiming $5581 of mileage from World Vision and 14 charges for falsely claiming $6734 of mileage from Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Mr McClay faces two charges of falsely claiming $448 of mileage from Heart Children New Zealand.

The Weekend Herald revealed in December that the former politician was being investigated for allegedly using his ex-MP perk of taxpayer-funded flights on business trips, then claiming driving mileage from the charities he worked for.

Detectives executed search warrants on Mr McClay's Auckland home and seized financial records from Keep New Zealand Beautiful - of which he was the chairman - Heart Children New Zealand and World Vision.

Staff and board members were also interviewed as part of the police inquiry.

As a former MP elected before 1999, he is entitled to a 90 per cent subsidy for 12 domestic return flights each year.

Mr McClay resigned as Keep NZ Beautiful chairman in July 2009 to take up a position at the NZ Spinal Trust.

He has resigned from the Spinal Trust in the wake of the criminal charges.

During his 15 years in Parliament, until 1996, he was Minister of Youth Affairs and Associate Minister of Education and Social Welfare.

He was then appointed the Commissioner for Children, and in 2005 was made a companion of the Queen's Service Order for his public service and his contribution to the welfare of children.

More recently, Mr McClay - whose son Todd is National MP for Rotorua - has worked for charities.

The Weekend Herald understands a complaint to the Parliamentary Service, which administers MPs' travel subsidies, sparked the investigation in December 2008.

Two other charitable trusts with which Mr McClay is involved - Variety, the Children's Charity, and For the Sake of Children - are not involved in the police inquiry.

Roger McClay: The charges

Parliament rebate
* 27 charges between November 2005 and November 2008: $12,930

World Vision
* 13 charges between August 2006 and December 2008: $5581

Keep New Zealand Beautiful
* 14 charges between November 2006 and December 2008 $6734

Heart Children NZ
* 2 charges between November 2006 and March 2007: $448