According to news portal the press.co.nz, the government agency Oranga Tamariki made 103 payments to Amandeep's company, Divine Connection, between July 2021 and October 2022, corresponding to 326 invoices. The total amount paid was just under USD 2.15 million
Indian-origin couple defrauds New Zealand govt of over USD 2 mn. Representational Image/File
An Indian-origin couple has been found guilty of defrauding a government company for over USD 2 million in Christchurch of New Zealand, the PTI reported on Tuesday.
According to the New Zealand Herald Amandeep Sharma pleaded guilty on May 16 and will now be sentenced in June, the news agency reported.
Earlier this month, after pleading guilty to a series of charges including obtaining by deception, money laundering, and using a forged document, his wife was jailed for three years, the newspaper said.
According to news portal the press.co.nz, the government agency Oranga Tamariki made 103 payments to Amandeep's company, Divine Connection, between July 2021 and October 2022, corresponding to 326 invoices. The total amount paid was just under USD 2.15 million, reported PTI.
The New Zealand Herald detailed how the couple orchestrated the fraud and reported that Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Andrew Bridgman confirmed an internal investigation was launched in November 2022, immediately after concerns were raised. The matter was then referred to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), leading to the prosecution, reported PTI.
Neha began working as a property manager at Oranga Tamariki in 2021 by submitting forged references from her previous role at the Ministry of Education. Upon joining, she agreed to a code of conduct that explicitly prohibited conflicts of interest. However, disregarding these rules, she leveraged her role to register her husband Amandeep’s construction company, Divine Connection, within the agency’s system, assigning it tasks related to property maintenance and similar services.
According to New Zealand Herald, “Of the 203 jobs recorded as being assigned to Divine Connection in LogIT, 91 were created by Neha Sharma herself, 64 were created by the helpdesk and 20 were created by the friend. The remainder appeared to have been created by another Facilities Management Officer (FMO). No one knew about their marriage until after they'd conned the government agency out of more than USD 2 million.”
The internal investigation uncovered multiple warning signs, one of which was that Amandeep’s company was registered at the same address as Neha’s residence. When Oranga Tamariki confronted her during the inquiry, Neha immediately resigned. Shortly afterward, Amandeep was removed as the company’s director, and the business address was updated. Neha subsequently secured a job with another organization.
By the time the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) carried out its raids, the couple had amassed significant assets, including three properties, three vehicles, and around USD 800,000 in their joint bank accounts.
The newspaper said,“Less than two weeks after the SFO knocked on their front door, the couple booked two one-way tickets flying business class on Singapore Airlines to Chennai, India. The trip seemed strange since the couple had a busy schedule ahead in Christchurch, including pregnancy.The couple boarded their flight on April 14, with 80 kgs of luggage between them and before leaving, they attempted to liquidate their properties and cars and transferred just under USD 8,00,000 in cash from their bank accounts to accounts held in India.”
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation uncovered that the hidden funds had been transferred from Amandeep’s Bank of India account to seven other bank accounts located in India. Additionally, the High Court in Christchurch issued restraining orders concerning the couple's properties and the proceeds from any sales.
Quoting SFO director Karen Chang, thepress.co.nz said, “We would like to acknowledge the police and Indian authorities for their swift action and assistance in securing the defendant's assets.”
In court on Friday, Neha's lawyer attributed her actions to ‘baby brain’, suggesting impaired judgment due to pregnancy or early motherhood. However, the Crown argued that she showed no signs of remorse and had made no attempt at reparation. Neha is currently serving her sentence in prison with her infant, while the couple’s older child is staying in India with Amandeep’s sister.
(With inputs from PTI)
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