Worker stole $1.75m from firm, fraud office alleges

An Auckland man has been charged with faking accountancy qualifications, stealing $1.75 million from his employer and forging documents to convince a bank to loan him $450,000.

Trevor Ulialatea Esera, 33, appeared in the Auckland District Court this week to face seven charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office.

Esera began working for gas company Rinnai in 2001, at first as an accountant before being promoted to IT manager. He resigned last year.

An audit in March uncovered a $48,000 invoice paid to a company for software that Rinnai had stopped using several years ago. Subsequent investigations found the company did not exist and the bank account the invoice was paid to was in the name of Esera's wife, according to the SFO.

Two other fictitious companies were discovered in the audit and the SFO alleges Esera created 350 invoices between 2002 and 2008 worth a total of $1.75 million.

The SFO also alleges that Esera lied on his CV when applying to Rinnai and does not have a business or accounting degree as he had claimed.

In December 2006, Esera allegedly offered forged documents - including one that showed a salary of $160,000 - to obtain a mortgage of $450,000.