Labour 'disappointed' by fraud charge

Daljit Singh in court on October 5. Photo / Richard Robinson

Labour Party president Andrew Little says it's disappointing to see an Auckland Super City candidate standing under the party's name facing a fraud charge, and that swift action will be taken if there is a conviction.

Daljit Singh, a justice of the peace, was this week charged, along with another man, with election fraud over the alleged forging of change-of-address forms involving hundreds of voters in south Auckland.

The other man, not a candidate, was granted name suppression on Tuesday, but Singh today dropped plans to keep his name secret after two judges, one in the District Court and one in the High Court, said it should be published.

"I don't want to hide anything so I tell my lawyer not to go further," he told NZPA. He said he "strongly denied" the allegations and would defend himself.

Singh, who is backed by Labour and is standing for the Papatoetoe Community Board, said the charges had affected the way people had voted for him, even though his name had only just been published.

Mr Little said Labour was "deeply disappointed that a candidate standing under its name is being prosecuted for alleged irregularities in enrolments for the local body elections".

He said Singh had been a member of the Labour Party since May this year.

"There is no tolerance in our party for conduct that undermines the integrity of the electoral process," he said.

"If it is established that Mr Singh has acted in this way then he can expect swift disciplinary action, including having his party membership removed from him."

Singh said the charges were "mischievously brought" and details would come out in court. He said he was confident his name would be cleared.

"I am absolutely a law-abiding citizen and I have a good faith in the judiciary so I am pretty sure it will work."

Both men were released on bail last Tuesday and police said further charges were likely.

Singh, a real estate agent with Barfoot and Thompson, is also a marriage celebrant and a licensed immigration adviser.

He is a spokesman for the NZ Sikh Society and convener of the Supreme Sikh Council.

In his election campaign material he said he had lived in Papatoetoe for 17 years and believed his experiences as a JP, marriage celebrant and regular volunteer at the Papatoetoe Citizens Advice Bureau provided an excellent basis for representing the views of local residents on the Community Board.

He is due back in court later in the month.

- NZPA