Home detention for sharemilker in wage subsidy case

Gordon Morris pleaded guilty to two representative charges of dishonestly using a document after making a total of 21 dishonest applications for wage subsidy schemes between April 2020 and September 2020.

Four successful applications resulted in him receiving  $37,491.20. An additional 17 applications were declined, worth over $100,000.

The applications were dishonest for a range of reasons.

The two companies, Morris Farming and GCSJ Partnership, were not trading at the time of the applications, were not registered with Inland Revenue (IR) as employers or paying any PAYE, and were not paying  wages or salaries. 

Mr. Morris was also not trading as a sole trader or self-employed at any point when he made applications in his own name. 

Judge Philip Crayton commented that the final sentence was reached after consideration of his guilty plea, health concerns and a history of addiction and gambling.

Judge Crayton also considered time served for a prosecution taken by IR.

A total of 49 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 $830 million* in wage subsidies has been repaid.

For more information about the Wage Subsidy Integrity and Fraud Programme please see here. 

*Figures as at 19 September