Touch NZ fraudsters convicted over pokie scam

Two people were convicted and discharged today for their part in a $2 million poker machine scam that also involved former Kiwi rugby league players Brent Todd and Hugh McGahan.

Geoffrey Alan Thompson, 40, and Alistair Richard Arnott, 50, who both worked for Touch New Zealand, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to defraud.

When they appeared in Auckland District Court today for sentencing, Thompson and Arnott made a voluntary donation to Touch NZ. The amount was not disclosed.

Their sentences were in line with that handed down previously to another player in the fraud, former North Harbour Rugby Union chief executive and ex-All Black Doug Rollerson.

The court was told at the time that Rollerson's offending had left him fiancially and emotionally destitute.

Todd is serving a year's home detention and 190 hours of community work, while McGahan is doing 275 hours of community work.

Todd's business partner, Stanley Wijeyaratne, was fined $50,000.

Like Thompson and Arnott, those four also pleaded guilty.

One other person remains to be dealt with by the courts. Kay McKirdy worked at Landmark Travel, which was an intermediary that provided false invoices as part of the fraud.

When McKirdy pleaded guilty yesterday, Judge Nicola Mathers indicated that she would be discharged without conviction if she completed 60 hours' community work before sentencing on August 18.

The Serious Fraud Office, which brought the prosecution against the group, alleged that the fraud was masterminded by Todd and Wijeyaratne, who ran several Auckland bars associated with gaming trusts.

The fraud involved an elaborate scheme of fake invoices and accounts to defraud sports organisations of money from pokie proceeds.

Of the $1.9 million granted to North Harbour rugby through pubs operated by Todd and Wijeyaratne, about $1 million was returned to the pair through the false invoices.

Of the more than $2 million awarded to Touch NZ between August 2002 and April 2004, about $1 million was dishonestly reclaimed.

Todd paid back $300,000, while Wijeyaratne was told to make $400,000 reparations, when he was sentenced.

- NZPA