Former head of New Zealand immigration admits fraud involving Kiribati relatives

[Stacey King]

M&C News Feb 3, 2010, 9:46 GMT

Wellington - The former head of New Zealand's immigration service Wednesday admitted lying on applications to secure a senior job in the public service. Mary Anne Thompson, 54, who previously worked in the prime minister's department, falsely claimed that she had a PhD from the London School of Economics. After denying the charges during court hearings in 2009, she pleaded guilty Wednesday to using a document with intent to defraud.

When she first appeared in court last year, she denied the charges relating to job applications in 1989, 1998 and 2004, and was committed for trial. The deal announced in the Wellington District Court saw her change her plea and police reduce the prosecution to one composite charge. She was remanded on bail for sentencing next month.

The judge indicated that she was likely to be fined 10,000 New Zealand dollars (7,000 US dollars) and given 100 hours' community work, news reports said. Thompson headed the immigration service within the Department of Labour from 2004 until resigning in May, after a State Services Commission report found that she had helped members of her family from the Pacific island nation Kiribati obtain residence permits in New Zealand.

The department's current chief executive, Christopher Blake, said then that the behaviour described in the report was 'completely unacceptable.'

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