October 14, 2020
Whakaruru gets home D for stealing King’s putea
A former assistant of the Māori King has been sentenced to 12 months’ home detention and 300 hours of community work for stealing charitable funds and lying to the Serious Fraud Office.
Te Rangihiroa Whakaruru, who is 57, was also ordered to make full reparation of $111,000.
Whakaruru committed the offences while he was employed by a charitable trust that provided financial support to the office of the Māori King.
He pleaded guilty in December last year to five charges of obtaining by deception and one charge of supplying false or misleading information, which had the effect of dragging out the investigation.
SFO director Julie Read says Whakaruru abused his position of trust and compromised the reputation of the Office of the Māori King.
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