Rowing chief discharged

Last updated 23:53 24/10/2008

Relevant offers

National

Taser used to end brawl Patients 'will get sicker' Lights switched off around NZ Domestic violence cases increasing Survey reveals a clear leader Uneasy rider labels ACC rise 'absurd' ACC backlash Smith rues his 'unfortunate' suicide remark Researcher criticises motorbike levy logic Nutritionist calls for NZ food watchdog system

The judge who overturned former Rowing New Zealand boss Craig Ross's conviction for fraud found convicting him would be "out of all proportion to the gravity of the offences".

Last month Ross, 52, had his convictions for fraud overturned in a High Court appeal at Rotorua.

He was convicted in the Tauranga District Court in July after admitting nine fraud charges, but appealed his convictions.

Justice Heath overturned Ross' convictions, discharging him without conviction on each of the nine charges, but ordered he pay $15,000 in costs half each to Rowing NZ and the Crown. All previous fines were cancelled.

Ross resigned from Rowing NZ in September last year amid allegations of funding application irregularities. He was eventually charged with nine counts of fraud relating to more than 30 separate grant applications made between June 2005 and July 2007.

The charges alleged Ross used documents he knew were forged and which enabled him to take shortcuts and speed up the process when applying to charitable organisations to help RNZ buy travel, apparel, boats and oars.Waikato Times

Ad Feedback

- © Fairfax NZ News