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Ex-rugby league boss jailed for fraud

Skinner

Coach
Messages
13,581
It's been a long time coming..............the man who virtually destroyed Club footy
in this country:x

From Stuff : http://stuff.co.nz/4151753a11.html

Former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Graham William Carden's desperate attempts to regain his status have instead led him to jail.


Judge Denys Barry today sentenced Carden, 56, to 21 months' jail when he appeared in Wellington District Court after admitting six representative fraud charges laid by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Carden admitted two counts of forgery, two of making a false declaration and one count each of using a document with intent to defraud and dishonestly using a document. The Crown withdrew a further 124 charges at a previous appearance.

The charges related to a karaoke business Carden started in Porirua in 2002, Premier Music Ltd. Despite being bankrupt, he took control of the business's finances.

He applied for gaming machine grant funding, forging a variety of documents, including some from members of his own family.

He was also given $35,000 by Work and Income New Zealand to run a karaoke operators' training course.

Judge Barry said Carden had created an elaborate front to obtain and disperse funds, mainly for personal use.

Carden had fallen upon hard times from "some heights of eminence" and had lost sight of reality in his attempts to claw his way back.

"You were so intent on regaining status that you didn't stop to consider the true criminality of what you were doing," the judge said.

The offending was premeditated, closely planned and systematic.

Aggravating factors were the scale of offending and the use of unsuspecting individuals' identities to commit fraud.

However, in Carden's favour were his guilty pleas, his remorse and previous good character and his offer of reparation.

The Crown had sought reparation of $125,210 but Judge Barry ordered $42,000 be paid.
He also granted Carden leave to apply for home detention.
- NZPA
 

mean

Juniors
Messages
560
I'm confident that there are other administrators out there who have done dodgy pokie funding deals and backhanders.

I see last week that the Mt Albert Lions get $80k from two pokie funding sources. I'm sure that many clubs out there would be greatly appreciative of just $1000 to spend on sets of jerseys for their juniors instead of these organisations funding semi-professional teams.

And if many don't know, the funding criteria always stipulates that funding must not go to teams whereby players are paid. This is more of a joke!!
 

LeagueNut

First Grade
Messages
6,980
Skinner said:
However, in Carden's favour were his guilty pleas, his remorse and previous good character and his offer of reparation.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh wait, they were serious ... :shock:
 

ozbash

Referee
Messages
26,922
I'm confident that there are other administrators out there who have done dodgy pokie funding deals and backhanders.

2 wrongs dont make a right. If you know something, report it or live with your conscience.

I see last week that the Mt Albert Lions get $80k from two pokie funding sources. I'm sure that many clubs out there would be greatly appreciative of just $1000 to spend on sets of jerseys for their juniors instead of these organisations funding semi-professional teams.

why dont they apply to the licsensing commision for a gaming mach licsence ?

the funding criteria always stipulates that funding must not go to teams whereby players are paid. This is more of a joke!!

does that include self funding, ie pokies ?
 

Sam_the_man

First Grade
Messages
5,095
He was the man that sold New Zealand rugby league to News for a pathetic $2 million. Should have got 10 times that and assured the future of the game here.

Doug Rolleston's case can't be far off coming up as well? It pissed me off that as soon as his name was mentioned in connection with this pokie case TV one stopped calling him the North Harbour RU CEO and started referring to him as the former North Sydney rugby league half back and North Harbour RU CEO.
 

mean

Juniors
Messages
560
ozbash said:
2 wrongs dont make a right. If you know something, report it or live with your conscience.

why dont they apply to the licsensing commision for a gaming mach licsence ?

does that include self funding, ie pokies ?

I've learnt that in some environments, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. I'd love to report impropriety acts that I know of first hand, but to do so would be to the detriment of the game, a club's future funding stream and possibly other clubs.

When a publican demands that a club's funding grant be reversed because of his personal views towards that particular club, this tells me that there is a fundamental conflict of interest and a sham in the way funding grants are allocated. This same f*wit was given a $50k interest free loan from the NZRL last year. Colloquially we call these people scum bags.

As far as I know councils are not allowing any new gaming venue licences, if anything they are trying to reduce them.

My difficulty with the Lions is that they are not an amateur team:
"To be eligible for grants you need to be a non-profit organisation. You can be active in the areas of community, education, arts and culture or amateur sport. If you feel you meet thee criteria, download the application form featured on this page and begin the grant application proccess."

I don't have a problem with Mt Albert getting funding for their club per se, only if the funding is for the purpose of grass roots football and not to leverage the Auckland Lions for the sake of easing the the burden on Watson and Hotchin aka the Warriors.

Football politics unearths cynicism and negativity, and I think now I have been embraced by both particularly towards elitism and unfairness.:crazy:
 

ozbash

Referee
Messages
26,922
wicked, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place alright mean.

I don't have a problem with Mt Albert getting funding for their club per se, only if the funding is for the purpose of grass roots football and not to leverage the Auckland Lions for the sake of easing the the burden on Watson and Hotchin aka the Warriors.

i was under the impression the Lions were self funding, ie sponsorship, the Warriors ARL....
 

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