A man who duped a family into buying properties will spend Easter in jail after attempt for an appeal against his sentence failed this morning.

A now-disbarred lawyer accused of helping a property developer borrow millions of dollars from a finance company cannot argue he was an innocent agent, says the Crown in its closing submissions.

The founder of the kohanga reo movement, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, has spoken of a "sense of shame" over allegations of misspending of public money.

Two former directors of a Wellington gas retail company have been found guilty of fraud charges over $17 million worth of offending.

The country's longest-running employment case has been won by Radio New Zealand, the broadcaster is reporting.

The man who once stole $1 million, then went on the run and called broadcaster Paul Holmes live on air threatening to kill himself, is disputing aspects of his latest fraud.

A "culture of obfuscation" prevailed at South Canterbury Finance before its $1.6b govt bailout, where directors talked about dealing with "smoke and mirrors" and "half truths".

A throwaway comment at a law conference last week by the boss of the Serious Fraud Office has delayed the start of the South Canterbury Finance fraud trial.

The trial of three former heads of South Canterbury Finance in what is alleged to be New Zealand's biggest ever fraud case begins in Timaru today.

The Serious Fraud Office trial of South Canterbury Finance's chief executive and two of the failed firm's directors is due to begin in Timaru on Wednesday.

Defence denies former mayor helped form a plan to solicit funds in contravention of Belgrave Finance's trust deed.

A former mayor and lawyer is accused of helping a property developer hide his identity so he could borrow millions from a failed finance company.

The FMA has dropped civil proceedings against four Lombard directors as the failed finance company's receivers have reached a $10 million settlement with the men, their insurers and an unnamed "third party".

Sweeping changes to securities law have undermined the custodial sentences handed out to former directors of Lombard, the Supreme Court has heard.

The banker who stole $18 million from clients is "deeply remorseful and ashamed" about his offending, according to the Parole Board report which confirms his release.

The country's market regulator wants to withdraw a disciplinary complaint against fraudster David Ross.

A victim of an "incompetent" foreign exchange trader whose scheme inflicted losses of about $1.5m says his quality of life took a hit when his "significant" portfolio vanished.

Australian lawyer Julie Read has taken the helm of the Serious Fraud Office at a time when its future has yet to be charted.

A controversial cancer charity will not face prosecution after it voluntarily de-registered as a charity during a probe into its spending.

Thousands of dollars worth of roading materials destined for a ratepayer-funded project were delivered to home renovations of a senior council manager, a whistleblower claims.

A bankrupt property developer who used fronts and false information to borrow money as part of a $50 million loan scheme has been found guilty this morning.

Agency failed to consider key evidence in $1.7 billion South Canterbury Finance investigation.

Police asset freezing action against two jailed Capital + Merchant directors is unprecedented.

A High Court judge has made restraining orders over property linked to two jailed Capital + Merchant Finance directors, with the police looking to eventually seize the assets.

Ponzi-scheme operator David Ross, who committed one of NZ's biggest financial swindles, has been handed more jail time than anyone else to face a Serious Fraud Office prosecution.