KEY POINTS:
Prominent sportsmen are among seven people facing charges into the alleged misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars of gaming machine money granted to rugby organisations.
Former All Black Doug Rollerson, who was chief executive of the North Harbour Rugby Union until March 2004, and former Kiwi rugby league captain Hugh McGahan were named in court on Monday on charges of conspiring to commit fraud after a Serious Fraud Office investigation.
Another former Kiwi team member, Brent Todd, is due to appear in the Auckland District Court today.
Yesterday, two Christchurch men who were associated with Touch New Zealand appeared in the Christchurch District Court. Geoffrey Alan Thompson, 38, faced two charges and Alastair Richard Arnott, 47, one charge.
The charges allege they conspired with five others to dishonestly use documents relating to Touch NZ between 2000 and 2004.
The two other people have appeared in other courts and name suppression has been granted.
Arnott resigned as chief executive of Touch NZ in April having worked for it since 2000.
Judge Philip Moran remanded Thompson and Arnott on bail to appear in the Auckland District Court on January 19.
Touch NZ's new chief executive, Dale Stephens, said McGahan's contract has not been renewed and the organisation was taking legal advice regarding Thompson's employment as administration manager.
He said Touch NZ was "gutted" by the allegations.
The organisation had come out "squeaky clean" after being audited by the Department of Internal Affairs gaming division, the Serious Fraud Office and the NZ Charities Trust.
Mr Rollerson played 24 games for the All Blacks between 1976 and 1981. made no plea and has been remanded to January 19 for a pre-depositions hearing on two conspiracy charges.
His lawyer, John Haigh QC, said yesterday that Rollerson did not seek name suppression because he was intent on fighting the charges. "On the evidence available, the charges are baseless."
Mr Haigh said Rollerson worked as an employee of North Harbour Rugby Union and had at all times acted in the interests of the union.
"He made not one cent from the transactions that are alleged by these prosecutions."
Todd, who was named on TV One last night, owned several Auckland bars until last year.
Later it was disclosed that he was subject to a Serious Fraud Office inquiry into payment irregularities from gaming machines. He was declared bankrupt in February.
- Herald Reporters, NZPA
