Buried treasures: Double standards as well

By FRAN O'SULLIVAN

Employees who double-dip or inflate their expenses frequently get sacked - rather than the chance to pay back any false claims.

And sometimes the police are called in and fraud charges laid.

Some high-fliers get the benefit of the doubt.

In February 2001, Cabinet ministers Marian Hobbs (Labour) and Phillida Bunkle (Alliance) were probed by the Auditor-General's office over their claims to accommodation allowances.

Although cleared of wrongdoing, Ms Hobbs repaid $18,504. Not so Ms Bunkle.

Dr Armstrong repaid $10,000 himself after the Auditor-General's inquiry was announced. Investigations showed he had double-dipped 48 times - charging two enterprises simultaneously for accommodation at his Wellington apartment.

He said there was nothing in board resolutions to prevent it, although he agreed it was inappropriate.

But not all high-profile players defend themselves as aggressively as Dr Armstrong did.

In 1999, then district court judge Robert Hesketh pleaded guilty to eight counts of falsifying travel expenses totalling $801 while serving in Northland.

Fellow judge Martin Beattie denied 45 similar fraud charges, involving about $10,000 and was found not guilty.