Seventh Powdergate accused heads to district court

The seventh man charged over the multi-million dollar scam which became known as Powdergate has had his case transferred to Auckland District Court.

Sean Robert Miller has denied his role in a scam where false customs documents were used to allow milk products to be sent overseas when the New Zealand Dairy Board had a monopoly on exports so it could control export markets.

The Dairy Board went out of existence in 2001 when it merged with Kiwi Co-operative Dairies and the New Zealand Dairy Group to become Fonterra.

Miller appeared briefly in the High Court in Auckland today and was remanded for a callover next month in Auckland District Court after Justice Mark Cooper said it was not necessary for the matter to be heard in the High Court.

Last week, six fellow accused who admitted the charges were fined a total of $58,500 on six representative charges after the Serious Fraud Office downgraded the original charges from conspiracy to defraud to producing false customs documents.

- NZPA