Women charged with Pokere appear in court

Three women charged jointly with former All Black Steve Pokere of defrauding investors of thousands in funds appeared in the Auckland District Court for a depositions hearing yesterday.

Tina Marie West, 45, business consultant, of Botany Downs, Donna-Marie Hera Frost, 44, a company director of Sydney, and Phyllis Erena Mareroa, 57, a consultant of Manurewa, face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Frost faces an additional charge of using a document for pecuniary advantage.

Pokere, 46, of Howick, was committed to trial at a depositions hearing last year.

He will return to court for a call-over in February.

At yesterday's hearing - before justices of the peace - one witness told Crown prosecutor Phillip Morgan, QC, he and a group of family and friends had made a number of investments through the accuseds' company, FF Traders.

These opportunities included a $320,000 telecommunications venture "to assist growth in the Chinese market".

Among other FFT-initiated schemes were an Australian bond scheme in which he and others invested $130,000, and a project that saw the group invest $90,000 with a United States-based trader called Mark.

The group lost many of its initial lump-sum investments.

The witness' suspicions were aroused when he was allegedly told by Pokere, "Your money with [West] is not going where you think it is".

The depositions are set to run until Friday.