Amandeep Sharma in court in May. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
The husband of a former Oranga Tamariki employee who helped his wife defraud the agency of more than $2 million has been sentenced to 12 months' home detention.
Amandeep Sharma pleaded guilty to obtaining by deception and money laundering in May after he and his wife Neha Sharma kept their marriage secret and funnelled public money through his construction company Divine Connection Ltd.
Neha Sharma, who was jailed for three years in May, kept the conflict of interest concealed as she approved the company's invoices, got him jobs that could have been carried out by other companies and even carried out work for the company during office hours.
Less than two weeks after the Serious Fraud Office knocked on their front door, the couple booked two one-way business class to India, after transferring just under $800,000 overseas.
Justice Eaton said he seriously considered jailing Sharma but sentenced him to home detention in order for him to seek rehabilitation and support his daughter.
"The attitude you have displayed is worrying. It is indicative of a lack of accountability and does in my view display a degree of entitlement, perhaps arrogance," he said.
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director Karen Chang said Sharma and his wife took advantage of her position of trust for their own financial gain.
"It is critical that we disrupt behaviour of this kind, which damages the integrity of our public institutions and threatens our reputation as a safe place to invest and do business," she said.
"Corrupt behaviour by public servants is a key focus for the SFO, and we are currently advancing initiatives that will strengthen the New Zealand public sector's overall resilience to fraud and corruption."
The SFO filed charges against the couple in 2023 alleging Neha Sharma had provided false references to secure her role at Oranga Tamariki where she managed aspects of properties in the Canterbury region, including maintenance, upkeep, and modifications.
Neha Sharma set up her husband's company as a contractor without declaring a conflict of interest and then assigned work to this company over others suppliers, at a cost of $2.1 million to Oranga Tamariki.
She then applied for a role at the transport agency, for which she also provided a false reference.
The SFO said police seized the funds the couple had transferred.
It said proceedings to return them to New Zealand were underway, while the High Court had issued a restraining order over the couple's properties in New Zealand.
Chang thanked the police and Indian authorities for their swift action and the co-operation of Oranga Tamariki and the transport agency in the investigation.
