Court documents seen by
Stuff, allege Pikia conspired to obtain money from Tarit Holdings by deception by reaching an agreement to cut down trees at Eua Forest Tonga.
David White/Stuff
Roger Pikia appeared in court where he was remanded without plea. (File photo) Between February 2014 and December 2015, Pikia is alleged to have obtained $364,500 from Tarit by falsely representing his role in settlement negotiations. The SFO also alleges Pikia advised Tarit to enter into a contract with Ka Ora Ltd to buy shares for $400,000, without disclosing he would receive shares as a reward for securing the contract. The SFO further alleges Pikia, while acting as an agent of Tarit, corruptly offered to accept, or solicited, $150,000 as a reward for lending his support, as a board member, to the purchase of a Rotorua property.
SFO investigation: Prominent Te Arawa leader appears in court over alleged $364k fraud
16 Dec, 2020 02:33 AM
3 minutes to read
Roger Pikia speaking to reporters outside court. Photo / Alex Burton
A prominent business leader has been charged by the Serious Fraud Office and accused of obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars through deception from an iwi trust he once chaired.
After an investigation spanning years, Roger Haare Charles Pikia, 52, appeared today in the Auckland District Court before Judge Pippa Sinclair.
It is alleged between February 2014 and December 2015 he obtained property in the sum of $364,500 from Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (Tarit) by the provision of timesheets falsely representing his engagement in residual settlement negotiations.