New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office announced that Aroha Awhinanui Tuira has pleaded guilty in the Christchurch High Court to two representative charges of obtaining by deception for her role in a Ponzi scheme involving nearly NZD 4 million and more than 55 investors. The plea follows an earlier guilty plea by her husband and co-defendant, Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira, who admitted the same charges. The offending spanned May 2014 to May 2021 and involved NZD 3.9 million obtained through 104 transactions. The pair presented themselves as experienced, well-connected investors able to generate returns, but the funds were not invested and no investment business was being operated; instead, some investors were paid using funds from others and money was spent on personal and business expenses. The defendants primarily targeted members of the te ao Maori community and built close personal relationships with investors, many of whom had limited prior investment experience. Both defendants are due to be sentenced on 7 November 2025.
Serious Fraud Office 2025-08-11
New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office secures second guilty plea in NZD 3.9 million Ponzi scheme case
New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office announced that Aroha Awhinanui Tuira pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining by deception in a Ponzi scheme involving nearly NZD 4 million and over 55 investors, following her husband's earlier guilty plea. The scheme, targeting the te ao Maori community, spanned from May 2014 to May 2021, with sentencing set for 7 November 2025.