Tester admits part in scheme to sell licences to Asian drivers

A driving licence tester who exchanged more than 100 licences for cash has admitted his role in the scam.

Peter William Hjorring, 56, appeared in the Waitakere District Court yesterday over a licence racket targeting Auckland's Asian community.

He will be sentenced in June.

The Glen Eden man pleaded guilty to dishonestly using a document for financial gain between August 2004 and March 22 this year.

That charge followed investigations into a driver licence scam in which Asians bought licences from testers and instructors without having road tests.

Many found out about the licences through advertisements in foreign-language newspapers.

Hjorring, who admitted to signing off between three and four licences during an eight-month period, was based at the AA Express centre at Westgate but employed by the private firm NZ Driver Licensing, which runs all practical road tests for Land Transport New Zealand.

The former traffic officer and policeman, who has been stood down from the Westgate licensing centre, was arrested one day after Land Transport called in police to help with an inquiry into the scam.

Land Transport NZ spokesman Andy Knackstedt said he was pleased that Hjorring had pleaded guilty.

"Our focus now is very much on tracking down the wrongly issued licences."

Mr Knackstedt said a Chinese instructor had also been charged in connection with the inquiry, which was continuing. It was not known if more charges would be laid.

National MP Pansy Wong this week tabled a letter in Parliament from concerned driving instructors calling for action after claims that the scam was still being advertised in foreign-language newspapers.

The letter reported a "rapid rise" in the number of accidents involving Asian drivers and cited interpreters helping applicants to pass tests.

The instructors said they were also worried about people selling international licences or fixing practical test results.