A former police detective has admitted charges of fraud against the committee which organises a national Queenstown sevens rugby tournament.
Richard Edgar Anderson (51), of Lake Hayes Estate, will be sentenced on September 10 for his offending, which totals $62,431.05.
He admitted, in the Queenstown District Court before Judge Michael Turner yesterday, causing losses to the Sevens with Altitude Committee by deception and without claim of right between January 26, 2009, and October 6, 2010.
Committee chairman Clarke Frew told the Otago Daily Times yesterday, although he was relieved Anderson had admitted the offending, "we're obviously very, very hurt by it".
"We're a non-profit organisation that works very, very hard to raise funds for rugby in this region. To have someone from within our group stealing money is ... very, very disappointing."
The Crown summary said Anderson had been on the committee since the two-day annual tournament began in 2003.
Beneficiaries of the tournament were Otago country rugby, Otago rugby and local rugby clubs.
Included in Anderson's responsibilities when he was committee secretary were organising team accommodation at the Mercure Queenstown Resort and flight packages through Air New Zealand.
Since 2007, Anderson had been authorised to use his credit card to pay for those expenses, along with other costs, and in doing so accruing air points for overseas travel.
In December 2010, Anderson provided the treasurer with an invoice purported to be from the Mercure for accommodation for the 2011 tournament. The treasurer noticed a sizeable increase and passed his concerns to committee members.
The previous year's figures were then also examined. The Crown's summary said the hotel had invoiced the committee $120,089.55 for the January 2010 players' accommodation paid by Anderson.
However, the invoice for reinbursement to Anderson was $129,428.00.
The committee also received a 10% commission on the accommodation, part of the money paid to Otago country rugby. Anderson sent a tax invoice on Sevens letterhead to the hotel for $11,289.40 - the 2009 booking commission refund - and four days later emailed a new tax invoice in the same amount to the hotel, requesting the money be paid directly to him. He banked the money and none was received by Sevens with Altitude.
Anderson was confronted with the evidence on February 12 this year at a committee meeting and admitted the offending.
The treasurer then also looked at the previous year's air travel costs and found the total cost paid by Anderson was $128,270, and the amount claimed $148,942.20.
For 2011, the figures were $108,903 and $130,034.
Anderson had since made some reparation payments, and $48,601.59 was still outstanding.
Judge Michael Turner called for a pre-sentence report to look at home detention options, an updated reparation report and an updated victim impact statement.
