NEWS-HR

Rembrandt Living is once again facing the s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) instigated by an ex-staff member (Kerkemeyer).

The second and final defendant in a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) case has pleaded guilty to fraud in the Auckland High Court today. Saul Roberts and Atish Narayan were charged in January 2017 under the Crimes Act and the Secret Commissions Act. Saul Roberts, the former Asset Manager for Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau Trust (Te Roopu) and Trustee and employee of Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority (Te Kawerau), faced five charges under section four of the Secret Commissions Act and today pleaded guilty to all charges. While acting as a Trustee at Te Kawerau in 2009, Mr Roberts received a secret payment of $45,000 in return for withdrawing public submissions he had lodged on behalf of Te Kawerau in opposition to a proposed change to a District Plan. The company that made the payment was unaware that Mr Roberts was acting without the knowledge and consent of his employer. In 2012, while employed by Te Roopu, Mr Roberts received secret commission payments in return for contracting work to certain suppliers to Te Roopu, including businesses owned by his co-defendant, Atish Narayan. Mr Roberts received a certain percentage of each invoice as a cash kickback. Atish Narayan, a supplier of goods and services to Te Roopu, pleaded guilty to two charges under section three of the Secret Commissions Act as well as one Crimes Act charge of ‘Obtaining by deception’ in August 2017. Mr Narayan owned two auto repair businesses which provided services to Te Roopu. Mr Narayan made undisclosed payments to Mr Roberts, in return for Mr Roberts arranging for vehicles owned by Te Roopu to be serviced or repaired at his businesses. Te Roopu, a public health care provider for people with intellectual disabilities, and Te Kawerau, set up to settle treaty claims, were the victims of the fraud. Mr Narayan was sentenced to 6 months’ home detention and ordered to pay $14,000 in reparation in October 2017. Mr Roberts will be sentenced on 27 February 2018.

A drug-affected driver who seriously injured a paramedic when he crashed head-on into an ambulance in Oldbury has been jailed for 18 months. Walter Ten Haaf, 33, was under the influence of methamphetamine when he drove his Nissan Navara onto the wrong side of Mundijong Road in October 2016 and smashed into an ambulance. Paramedic Wesley Ackerman was flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries, including fractures in his neck and back, a collapsed lung, a severed urethra and lacerations in his liver, spleen and bowel. District Court Judge Philip Eaton jailed Ten Haaf this morning for dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm while under the influence of drugs.

Bupa Global, the international health insurance arm of Bupa, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Quach to general manager of Bupa Global Asia Pacific.

AlayaCare, an award-winning home healthcare software company, today is expanding its commitment to the Australian market through its hiring of Emma Pate as General Manager.

A Fullarton aged care home remains in partial lockdown after around 35 residents and several staff fell ill with a gastro bug. Fullarton Lutheran Homes isolated several of its care areas when the outbreak began a week ago and still has one area in lockdown and about 15 residents still affected. Chief executive Ashley Cooper said staff initiated the voluntary lockdown as part of its action plan and that no residents had been taken to hospital.

A s.185 (Enterprise Agreement) application by mayflower Brighton for its Mayflower Nurses Enterprise Agreement 2017 has been approved by Commissioner Harper-Greenwell in Melbourne on 22 January 2018.

Aveo is scheduled to defend a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) before Vice President Catanzariti in his Sydney chambers (Johns).