New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office reported that the Christchurch High Court has sentenced two offenders in an SFO prosecution involving a Ponzi scheme that took almost $4 million from more than 55 investors. Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira (also known as Alex Tuira) received six years and four months’ imprisonment with a minimum period of imprisonment requiring him to serve 45% before being eligible for parole, while co-offender Aroha Awhinanui Tuira was sentenced to five years and two months’ imprisonment; both had earlier pleaded guilty to two representative charges of obtaining by deception. Between May 2014 and May 2021, the pair deceptively obtained $3.9 million through 106 transactions by presenting themselves as experienced, well-connected investors able to deliver returns, despite not investing funds or operating an investment business. The scheme operated on a Ponzi-type basis, paying some investors with money from others and using funds for personal expenses, and primarily targeted Maori communities by building and exploiting close personal relationships with investors who often had limited prior investing experience.
Serious Fraud Office 2025-12-11
New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office secures prison sentences for couple behind near $4 million Ponzi scheme
New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office announced that the Christchurch High Court sentenced Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira and Aroha Awhinanui Tuira for a Ponzi scheme defrauding over 55 investors of $3.9 million NZD. The scheme, which operated from May 2014 to May 2021, targeted Maori communities and involved deceptive practices, with both offenders pleading guilty to obtaining by deception.