A serving New Zealand Police officer is reportedly among those facing criminal charges over an alleged fraud involving about $18 million, as scrutiny continues over alleged offending within the country’s police force.
RNZ reports the officer is facing charges connected to an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud, in another case involving Police staff to emerge from investigations by the organisation’s National Integrity Unit.
The National Integrity Unit was established in 2020 to strengthen the Police response to corruption risks and investigate suspected corruption or serious wrongdoing involving its own staff.
Earlier this month, Police confirmed through Official Information Act material that 10 National Integrity Unit prosecutions were active as of May, involving allegations ranging from dishonest computer access and firearms trafficking to blackmail, sexual offending and attempts to obstruct or pervert the course of justice.
Police have previously stressed that prosecuting their own employees is a serious but necessary step when investigations uncover evidence of alleged criminal offending. In June, three Police staff were charged following separate investigations stemming from a review of Police information-security controls.
The latest fraud allegations come as the wider public sector confronts concerns about its ability to identify internal corruption and financial wrongdoing.
A Serious Fraud Office-led Anti-Corruption Taskforce reported earlier this year that internal fraud and corruption across government agencies was almost certainly being under-reported, with weaknesses in prevention, detection and reporting systems identified across parts of the public sector.
The charges remain allegations and will now be tested through the courts.
But the case puts another spotlight on integrity and public confidence within New Zealand Police, particularly when the people responsible for enforcing the law themselves become the subject of serious criminal proceedings.
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