Former student association president denied compensation from polytech

File photo / NZ Herald

The former president of a financially troubled student association has been denied compensation from the Wellington polytech it represented.

The Employment Relations Authority was told that Loretta Ryder was owed $53,013.70 in unpaid wages from her time as de facto president of the Whitireia Independent Students' Association (WISA), which had previously been determined in March 2013.

In her original application, Ms Ryder sought funds from WISA and/or the polytech, but in her final submission, orders were directed against Whitireia as the association was practically defunct.

Whitireia denied any responsibility for the debts owed to Ms Ryder by WISA from between 7 May 2009 and 4 August 2010.

Ms Ryder's claim arose after she had voluntarily agreed to go without pay for an indeterminate period of time. It was later discovered that funds in excess of $1 million had been taken from WISA's accounts.

WISA's vice president, who the Dominion Post reported to be Ms Ryder's cousin Tai Te Karu, admitted to defrauding the association and was sentenced to jail as a result.

Accountant's audits of the association found that it was in poor shape financially and tens of thousands of dollars of WISA funds still remain unaccounted for.

Ms Ryder was one of three signatories who signed incorrectly completed cheques. As she was never charged with any offences, she remained entitled to the pay she was owed.

The ERA found that Whitireia had never taken over the running of WISA and believed that the association had a valid executive at the time of Ms Ryder's claim.

"Unfortunately for Ms Ryder the timing of issues meant that her claim was not met and cannot now be met by Whitireia from funds held on behalf of WISA as they have been exhausted."

It was determined that Whitireia was not responsible to pay the debts owed to Ms Ryder by WISA.

Costs were reserved.