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 alleges 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 Manukau District Court today. Mr Bright was remanded without plea and is next scheduled to appear on 7 May. The building company director, who has been granted interim name suppression, entered not guilty pleas and will next appear at a Case Review Hearing on 9 August.
The SFO would like to acknowledge Auckland Council for referring this matter following their 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,” says SFO Director Karen Chang.