RESEARCH 16: 2024 HAWKE'S BAY GAMBLING CORRUPTION - CRITICAL FINDING

Date: December 29, 2025 (UTC) Objective: Research the 2024 DIA corruption charges in Hawke's Bay gambling sector

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SOURCE

Department of Internal Affairs Press Release Date: January 18, 2024 URL: https://www.dia.govt.nz/press.nsf/d77da9b523f12931cc256ac5000d19b6/087d8e8b6b34929acc258aa80076790b!OpenDocument Screenshot: dia_govt_nz_2025-12-29_01-21-00_1189.webp

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KEY FACTS

The Charges

> "Eight people Have been charged with a range of offences under the Gambling Act 2003 and Crimes Act 1961, after a Department of Internal Affairs investigation found a network of corruption in the Hawke's Bay region."

The Corrupt Network

> "involving collusion between class 4 venue operators, corporate societies and grant recipients."

Types of Offences

• Misappropriation of Class 4 (Gambling) grant funds
• Theft of gaming machine proceeds
• Offering benefits to secure Class 4 (pokie) venues with improper conditions

Scale of Fraud

> "The charges allege that the defendants, who were in management positions at several community organisations and within the Class 4 gambling sector, abused their positions to fraudulently obtain or misappropriate hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding and other benefits."

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COURT PROCEEDINGS

| Date | Event |

|------|-------|

| January 18, 2024 | 3 defendants appeared at Napier District Court |

| January 2024 | 1 pleaded not guilty, 2 remanded without plea |

| February 2024 | 5 defendants matters adjourned |

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DIA STATEMENT

Vicki Scott, Director Gambling, Department of Internal Affairs: > "Criminal networks that operate in a regulated environment such as class 4 gambling, commit this type of offending with full knowledge of the law. They ultimately take away grants from compliant and honest organisations and give the Gambling Sector a bad name."

> "Prosecutions of this kind help us ensure the integrity and fairness of the gambling system."

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SIGNIFICANCE FOR INVESTIGATION

1. PATTERN CONFIRMATION

This 2024 case confirms the same pattern as the 2011 Infinity Foundation case:

• Gaming trust corruption in Hawke's Bay
• Collusion between venue operators and grant recipients
• Misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars
• Management positions abused for personal gain

2. NETWORK OF CORRUPTION

The DIA explicitly used the term "network of corruption" - confirming that:

• This is not isolated individuals
• There is organized collusion
• Multiple parties work together to defraud

3. GEOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATION

Both the 2011 Infinity Foundation case AND the 2024 case are in Hawke's Bay/Napier - the same region as:

• Langley Twigg
• Oldershaw & Co
• Aquiline Holdings
• NIT

4. TIMELINE OF GAMING FRAUD IN HAWKE'S BAY

| Year | Case | Key Figures |

|------|------|-------------|

| 2011 | Infinity Foundation | Peter Dennehy, Rodney Green |

| 2024 | DIA Corruption Case | 8 unnamed defendants |

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QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

• Who are the 8 people charged in 2024?
• Are any of them connected to the earlier Infinity Foundation case?
• Are any of them connected to the Aquiline Holdings network?
• What community organisations were involved?
• Which gaming trusts were implicated?

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PARALLEL TO PAPA WINIKEREI CASE

| 2024 Gaming Corruption | Papa Winikerei Allegations (1947) |

|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|

| "Network of corruption" | Alleged network of fraud |

| Collusion between officials and beneficiaries | Alleged collusion between judge and beneficiaries |

| Misappropriation of funds | Alleged misappropriation of land |

| DIA investigation | No investigation at the time |

| 8 people charged | No charges ever laid |

The 2024 case shows that networks of corruption do exist in Hawke's Bay, and that they can be uncovered and prosecuted when properly investigated.

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NEXT STEPS

• Search for names of the 8 defendants
• Research the community organisations involved
• Search for any connections to known investigation targets
• Monitor court proceedings for outcomes