TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 PAGE 3 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 23-26 POLICE GISBORNE ACCUSED OF GALLERY ‘RACIALLY CLOSING PROFILING’ ITS DOORS PAGE 10 KIDS INSIDE TODAY CRUISING BACK TO GISBORNE: Eastland Port has 23 cruise ship visits scheduled for next summer, depending on the reopening of New Zealand borders. The Oosterdam (pictured) was a regular visitor to Gisborne in the early years of cruise ship visits here and she will be back twice in early December and early February next summer if the borders reopen. STORY ON PAGE 3 File picture A WOMAN who blew the whistle on Enterprises Limited (BEL) by his Matawai farmer John Bracken’s alleged Gisborne accountant, who unwittingly $17.4 million tax scam has given evidence prepared them using bank transactions in his High Court trial at Gisborne. manipulated by Bracken and false GST Ex-lover a She claimed Bracken was her lover, invoices he submitted. that they lived together in Auckland Bracken’s pleas to the charges have when he was regularly there for been deemed not guilty because he his export business and that she refuses to enter any. He says the charges unknowingly helped him with his scam are not his to answer — that as a by surreptitiously producing false beneficiary of a Maori Incorporation, he is invoices. protected under Te Ture Whenua Maori Bracken did not dispute their Act 1993. woman involvement but in cross-examination of Bracken is representing himself but her conveyed a situation in which she has literacy problems, so is being assisted was a woman scorned who squealed to by his wife and a McKenzie Friend the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) because of (someone who attends court in support her unfulfilled romantic designs on him. of a party who does not have legal She was trying to make him “look like representation). a criminal” even though she knew he He has so far largely refused help from was “helping thousands of people in the a court-appointed standby lawyer. scorned: islands”, Bracken said. The “whistleblower” witness yesterday The small public gallery in Gisborne’s described a whirlwind romance with No.2 courtroom was full of Bracken’s Bracken that began in Christchurch family and supporters as the woman gave during August, 2014, when she evidence. interviewed for a job he advertised but It followed two days of evidence from ended up spending all night with him. a tax investigator in charge of the case, The job did not eventuate but they who took the court through volumes of remained in contact and he helped her accused documents — including suspected false move to Auckland. invoices — the Crown relies on to prove She was on a benefit and assisted with its case. his exporting business, making deliveries Bracken, 54, is alleged to have and packing containers with goods for the dishonestly claimed $17.4m in GST Pacific Islands — timber and household refunds over four years up until June, furnishing items from a homeware Whistleblower takes stand 2018, of which $17.1m was paid out. supplier. He faces 39 counts of dishonestly using She did not mention packing honey, a document to make financial gains. milk or water to which some of the false Each charge relates to a separate GST invoices referred. in $17.4m tax fraud trial return filed for his company Bracken CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Classifieds ... 16-18 Racing ...............27 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Television ...........22 Sport ............ 28-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ...6-10, 19-20 World............ 13-15 The Guide .... 23-26 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, March 11, 2021 ‘Awesome’ turnout to Well Wahine Week events by Sophie Rishworth A PACKED Pilates class led by Te Kura Awhio instructor Maria Larsen last night was so popular some women had to be turned away. The free class was part of events for Well Wahine Week, which continues until Sunday. Te Kura Awhio coordinator Ella Swan said the turnout of 30 women was “awesome” and they all embraced what Well Wahine Week was about. “They were there for health, fitness, to try something new, the social side of meeting different people and getting out of their comfort zones. Everyone really enjoyed the class and those new to Pilates were really surprised how much it worked them out and how effective it was.” Ella said they were looking forward to tonight’s free classes — a box-fit class from 5pm to 5.45pm, followed by a strength and conditioning fitness circuit from 6pm to 6.45pm for all levels and ages. “There’s cool music and everyone goes at their own pace.” Te Kura Awhio is located in the old Army Hall across from the Gisborne District Council administration building. Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti active communities adviser Sarah Pocock said there continued to be excellent turnout at all events for Well Wahine Week. “There’s still a strong buzz about the week as a whole. We’ve been really grateful for the amazing support of local businesses who continue to step forward with spot prizes.” For the schedule for the rest of the week, go to the Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti website. FULL CLASS: The free Tu Wahine Yoga/ Pilates class last night led by instructor Maria Larsen was so popular women had to be turned away. Picture by Paul Rickard ‘He said it was fine’: witness FROM PAGE 1 sticks at a library or stationery shop. him in after realising he would never I loved you and I didn’t want to hurt you After finding out he was being audited, leave his wife. by ringing them. She took over the role of preparing the Bracken told her to dump the computer He questioned her decision to keep “I put a lot of faith and a lot of trust in invoices from a Takanini woman, who but she refused because she could not producing the invoices after the SFO told you and you abandoned me and told me a Bracken was paying $200 a month. afford to replace it. Police later seized it her it was illegal. The witness said she lot of lies and hurt me very much.” The woman was an ANZ bank teller he and the USB sticks. knew the investigation would take some The witness said Bracken promised to met after managing to talk down a would- The woman said her call to the Serious time and was “scared for her life” — that marry her one day to which he replied: be bank robber, the witness said. Fraud Office during 2017 if she suddenly stopped, “Sounds like a great big fairy tale to me”. She suspected Bracken was intimately was sparked by a friend’s he would be suspicious. He put it to her she had harassed his involved with the woman and did not warning she could get in The SFO advised her wife. The woman denied it. like them having an excuse to meet up trouble for creating the Bracken put it to her to continue. An officer involved in the parallel police — often in motel rooms (a detail Bracken invoices. she was previously on She no longer took investigation under the Criminal Proceeds challenged). She only intended medication which had medication, which was (Recovery) Act also gave evidence From August 2015 to February 2018, to anonymously sound previously prescribed yesterday, specifically about police she routinely produced up to 15 invoices staff out about the law affected her processes for the effects on her searches and seizures of property from for several companies monthly. but ended up naming and she only dobbed of the Christchurch the Brackens’ Matawai farm and house at “At one stage I asked John if it was OK Bracken. him in after realising he earthquake, a previous Ohiwa during September, 2018. — whether I would get into trouble — and Not wanting to alert abusive relationship and He was challenged strongly by Bracken he said it was fine,” the witness said. him, she continued would never leave his medical procedures. as to the legality of those searches. Bracken bought her the computer she producing the false wife. Bracken challenged Bracken claimed that while they used as she did not have one. Her skills invoices until police her as to why she were absent, police unlawfully entered were limited. She did not know how to knocked on her door would fear him. The buildings and uplifted vehicle keys. The cut and paste in Word so she scanned about a year later. woman said anyone who officer denied it. false invoices previously produced by Bracken’s cross-examination of the reported suspected criminal behaviour Bracken also claimed that because his the Takanini woman into an application earlier tax investigator witness had been would naturally be scared of repercussions wife is Maori, they were legally entitled to called Paint, where she could erase the of no real moment, but his questions for from those it affected. have a cultural adviser present during the details then retype whatever information this witness were more intense. “Why didn’t you tell me? It annoys me search. Bracken supplied. Bracken put it to her she was previously that you never said anything,” Bracken The officer said he was unaware of any Living rurally, she had no internet on medication which had affected her said. such legislation. access so printed the invoices from USB thought processes and she only dobbed “Cos we were in a relationship John and Justice Lang is presiding.