Former roading subcontractor Frederick Pou pleaded guilty to giving gifts to an agent. Photo: 123rf
A former roading subcontractor has been sentenced to home detention in a long-running corruption case.
Frederick Pou, of Coastal Roading Contractors, pleaded guilty to Serious Fraud Office charges in May 2024 to corruptly giving gifts to an agent.
He was sentenced to 12 months' home detention at the Auckland District Court for giving gifts totalling approximately $582,000 to secure contracts to former Broadspectrum manager Jason Koroheke as kickbacks for awarding work.
The architect of the scheme, Koroheke, accepted over $1 million in gifts for awarding contracts between January 2015 and November 2018.
Koroheke was convicted and jailed for four years and five months in December 2024.
"Mr Pou was one of several subcontractors who helped to enable Mr Koroheke's offending," SFO director Karen Chang said.
"The case highlights the various roles involved in a corruption case, from the 'corrupter' who masterminds the criminal scheme, to the 'enablers' who facilitate the offending."
The SFO said the subcontractors submitted invoices to Broadspectrum, both real and false, which Koroheke authorised.
Once Koroheke's employer Broadspectrum paid the subcontractors, they then used this money to provide gifts to Koroheke in the form of cash, goods and services totalling over $1 million.
Chang warned the case highlighted the risks associated with placing too much trust in one employee without sufficient internal controls.
"These are critical counter fraud prevention measures that can reduce the possibility of organisations becoming a victim of fraud and corruption," she said.
Two other contractors - Richard Motilal and Brian Ravening - and a former Broadspectrum manager Aurelian Mihai Hossu, were also charged and convicted in the case.
Richard Motilal was sentenced in August 2023 to nine months' home detention and to pay $25,000 in reparation.
Brian Ravening was sentenced in June 2024 to 12 months' home detention and made a reparation payment of $300,000.
Aurelian Mihai Hossu was sentenced to 11 months' home detention in June 2022 and made a reparation payment of $90,000.
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