Publican admits using pokie funds

A former Invercargill publican has pleaded guilty to theft charges over the illegal use of $1.2 million in gaming machine proceeds from her tavern.

The Department of Internal Affairs said it was the largest theft of pokie money it had investigated since the Gambling Act was introduced in 2003.

In Invercargill District Court yesterday, Sharon Maree Ogilvy, 51, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft by a person in a special relationship and one of theft by a person required to account between November 2000 and August 2005, the Southland Times reported.

Ogilvy was a licensee of the Strathern Inn in Invercargill, which operated 18 gaming machines under licence from the Lion Foundation, according to the police summary of facts.

Between December 2000 and July 2005, she failed to bank $1,270,625 in gaming machine proceeds to the foundation, instead using it to support her failing business.

Ogilvy was co-owner of Ogilvy Holdings, which was registered with the Companies Office in November 2000 and struck off in January 2006.

The Lion Foundation regularly warned Ogilvy about her failure to bank gaming machine money within the required five working days, but the short banking continued, the summary said.

In November 2004, the pub's pokie machines were disabled. Ogilvy then sold the business to an employee, but in name only.

The machines were turned back on until Ogilvy sold the business in July 2005.

When interviewed by the Serious Fraud Office in 2007, Ogilvy admitted that almost every week she had not banked the full gaming machine proceeds.

She was remanded on bail to February 17 for sentence.

After the hearing, Internal Affairs' director of gambling compliance Mike Hill said Ogilvy's was the largest case of gambling machine theft it had investigated.

- NZPA