1 Dec 2010

Fraudster to be investigated by Auckland Council

6:32 pm on 1 December 2010

A convicted fraudster who held a directorship with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority faces a council-led investigation of his activities.

Mark Benjamin, 45, was last week found guilty of seven charges of accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose relating to his time working at a food company.

He lost his case for continued name suppression at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday and will be sentenced later in December.

Benjamin tampered with the payroll system at his workplace in 2006 to add $10,000 to his $165,000 salary and increase his holiday pay entitlement.

In 2007, he became a director of the regional transport authority ARTA - a stint that lasted until the middle of this year.

The Auckland Council says it is advising Auckland Transport - the body that replaced ARTA - to conduct a review of Benjamin's activities while he was a director to ensure that no impropriety took place.

Benjamin was also a director of the former Crown Research Institute, HortResearch.