The Serious Fraud Office has filed bribery and corruption charges against a former Auckland Council building inspector and a director of an Auckland building company.
Nicholas Bright faces 21 charges of corruption and bribery of an official.
The building company director faces 23 charges of corruption and bribery of an official.
The SFO alleged that between 2018 and 2020 Nicholas Bright received bribes in the form of cash and other benefits in connection with his work as a building inspector.
The defendants appeared at theh Manukau District Court today. Bright was remanded without plea and was next scheduled to appear on May 7.
The building company director, who has been granted interim name suppression, entered not guilty pleas and would next appear at a case review hearing on August 9.
The SFO acknowledged Auckland Council for referring the matter to the office following its own investigations.
“Investigating potential corruption of public officials, particularly where health and safety may be compromised, is one of the SFO’s current strategic areas of focus,” said SFO director Karen Chang.