Worth accuser's husband convicted in jobs scam

Neelam Choudary has emailed John Key. Photo / Supplied

The husband of the woman who accused ousted minister Richard Worth of sending her sleazy text messages was convicted of an immigration scam.

One of the victims of the scams run by her husband says she is a "troublemaker".

The woman, Labour activist Neelam Choudary, yesterday emailed Prime Minister John Key with her allegations against Dr Worth, including 34 text messages, after failing in her attempts to arrange a meeting with him.

Her husband, Kumar Akkineni Choudary, was convicted for his role in the scam in December last year - about the same time she says Dr Worth was contacting her.

Labour leader Phil Goff said last night he was concerned that the woman had been named and that her husband was being brought into the story.

His status had "nothing to do with the accuracy or the credibility or the veracity of what she has said was her experience with Richard Worth", he said.

"I don't think it is fair for her to be judged in any context other than on her own merit."

Dr Worth resigned as Minister of Internal Affairs after complaints of a sexual nature against him by another woman.

After that complaint was revealed, Mr Goff said he had made a private complaint to Mr Key against Dr Worth in May.

Mrs Choudary, who has two children, unsuccessfully sought selection as Labour's candidate in the Botany electorate last year.

Her husband's scam tricked more than 20 Indian and Chinese immigrants into paying thousands of dollars for job offers to submit to Immigration NZ to get residency.

When they went to work in the jobs, they found they did not exist.

One of the victims, Siddesh Sajjan, last night told the Herald he met Kumar and Neelam Choudary in 2002 and paid them $3500 for a job offer that turned out to be fake.

He said that although Neelam Choudary was not charged, "she is a troublemaker".

"They played with my life. You don't just take someone's life and play with it like that."

Mr Sajjan said he would try to contact Mr Goff and Dr Worth today to tell them about Mrs Choudary.

A Labour supporter who lives in Mt Roskill and voted for Mr Goff, he said he had considered warning the party about her earlier when she became heavily involved with it, and regretted not doing so.

He did not know Mrs Choudary was the woman accusing Dr Worth until told by the Herald yesterday.

Mrs Choudary has said she met Dr Worth during last year's election campaign and he invited her to meet him at a cafe in Sylvia Park on November 26.

Mr Goff said she contacted him before the meeting, and he said it would be okay, if she took someone with her.

Her husband went with her, and waited in a vehicle in the carpark.

The next week, Mr Choudary and Lourdu Joseph William Reddy were convicted.

The week after that, Mrs Choudary was in India visiting relatives and Dr Worth was texting her.

On one day he sent five messages, according to Mr Goff.

Last night, Mr Goff said he had met Kumar Choudary only once.

He would not say whether he knew he had been found guilty of immigration fraud, but said that did not affect the credibility of thecomplainant.

"I believe she had credibility because I knew about some of those events as they were occurring," he said.

He had no cause to believe Mrs Choudary had behaved inappropriately with Dr Worth.

"Why would she? Why would a woman of her age be interested in a relationship with a man of his age."

Mr Goff said Mrs Choudary was now under enormous stress.