Aucklander sentenced for claiming $40k of fraudulent wage subsidy for former employees

Puletini Wilson was sentenced in Waitakere District Court after pleading guilty to two representative charges of dishonest use of a document for eight claims under the scheme.

Wilson made the COVID-19 wage subsidy applications on behalf of Fisa Holdings Ltd, which previously traded as Carriages Café and Wine Bar in Kumeu.

The business owner’s name was listed as the contact person on the applications.

However, both the owner and Wilson later stated that Wilson was responsible for the wage subsidy claims in his role running the account and administration side of Fisa.

One representative charge covered two applications in March and July 2020, and the other covered six applications made in August 2021.

A total of $149,300.80 in wage subsidies were paid to the company during those periods. Of this, $40,108.00 related to fraudulent claims.

Among the applications Wilson listed former employees who were not working for the business at the time.

He also stated a number of part-time employees were full-time.

Wilson was aware those claims for former employees and for part-time employees as full-time were incorrect.

Reparation was sought for $40,108 covering amounts relating to those incorrect claims. Wilson will be required to pay $10,400 in reparation

In sentencing, Judge Grant Fraser took into account his guilty plea and good character when determining the final sentence. 

A total of 36 people have been sentenced in wage subsidy cases, and another 53 people are still before the courts as part of MSD’s programme of work on wage subsidy fraud and integrity. Since the scheme started, more than $829 million* in wage subsidies has been repaid. For more information about the Wage Subsidy Integrity and Fraud Programme please see here. 

*Figures at 31 March 2025