A gambling venue manager has today pleaded guilty to the theft of more than $180,000 in fake gambling grant funds from the proceeds of pokie machines in Christchurch.
Mark Cini was the manager of class 4 gambling venue Robbies Riccarton when he dishonestly received $182,761.64 worth of class 4 grants over a period of two years, the Department of Internal Affairs said today in a media release.
Class 4 gambling applies to gaming machines outside a casino, such as pubs and clubs, the DIA said on its website. It may only be conducted by a corporate society and only to raise money for an authorised purpose.
The grants – obtained from the same society which also holds the class 4 venue licence for Robbies – were applied for on behalf of cricket-related sporting organisations the 59-year-old controlled.
An Internal Affairs investigation found that between 2018 and 2020, Cini "submitted false quotes and instructed his employees to sign grant applications on behalf of various grant recipients to obtain grant funding".
"Within the gambling system, this offending is of the worst kind," Internal Affairs director gambling, Vicki Scott, said.
"It is deliberate, motivated by greed, and deprives legitimate community organisations of grant funding.
"This behaviour is clearly prohibited and is an attack on the integrity of the gambling system."
Cini appeared in the Christchurch District Court today, where he was convicted of 39 dishonesty offences under the Crimes Act 1961. It included charges of forgery, theft by person in a special relationship, and dishonestly using a document.
His sentencing was scheduled for June 12.
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