Further not guilty plea in SFO public sector bribery case
The last of three defendants in a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) case pleaded not guilty to bribery and corruption charges related to the award of lucrative public sector construction contracts.
In a written statement provided to the Court, Daud Suryantyo pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he abused his position as a public official while employed at what was then Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) and later at the Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB).
Mr Suryantyo is alleged to have taken advantage of his position and accessed official information that he was entrusted with to facilitate the awarding of contracts to Trinity Construction Limited and a second company associated with the third defendant. In total, the two companies are alleged to have received approximately $3.5 million in public funds.
Mr Suryantyo was charged alongside Henry Rogo (formerly the director of Trinity Construction Limited) and a third defendant who cannot yet be named. At a Court hearing in May, Mr Suryantyo’s counsel sought an adjournment without plea for one month while Mr Rogo and the third defendant pleaded not guilty and elected trial by jury.
It is alleged that the three defendants had personal and business relationships which they disguised from the public bodies and that Mr Suryantyo benefited personally including through receiving bribes.
The SFO would like to acknowledge RFA (now part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Limited) for bringing this matter to the SFO’s attention following their own internal investigation, and both RFA and CMDHB (now Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau) for their assistance.
The next appearance on this matter is a case review hearing on 28 August 2024.
See case timeline(external link)
Recent SFO case releases
- Defendants named in SFO bribery construction case(external link) (17 May, 2024)
- SFO alleges bribery and corruption of public official over lucrative construction contracts(external link) (21 December, 2023)
About the SFO
The SFO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious or complex fraud, including bribery, and corruption in New Zealand. With a focus on maintaining integrity and trust in the financial system, the SFO has developed strategic areas of focus to ensure it has the greatest impact with the cases it takes in. These are reviewed and updated every 12-18 months.