The Serious Fraud Office has filed 33 charges against a television producer, accusing him of obtaining fraudulent lending and funding.
The Serious Fraud Office has accused Alexander Breingan, the founder of Stripe Studios, of making false representations and forging documents to obtain more than $4.3 million in Government-funded rebates and $10.2 million in lending.
The 33 charges related to the financing of 13 television programmes that were or proposed to be produced by his Stripe Studios companies.
The alleged offending was referred to the SFO by the New Zealand Film Commission, who had raised concerns about applications made on behalf of entities associated to his company for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate.
Breingan was residing overseas and was yet to appear in court.
In a statement to the NZFC website, chief executive Annie Murray said the organisation welcomed and supported the latest developments. She said the commission had "cooperated fully" with the SFO's investigation.
"NZFC has long-established systems for the assessment of rebate and funding applications, including staged certifications, independent verification requirements, and audit mechanisms.
"These robust processes exist to protect public funds, ensure fairness for applicants, and maintain the integrity of New Zealand’s screen incentives."
Murray said the "vast majority" of rebate applications were processed without issue.
"New Zealand remains a trusted and attractive production destination. This isolated matter does not reflect the broader performance of the rebate system."
She said that as part of normal governance practice, "the commission continually reviews and strengthens its processes, including specialist expertise in production budgeting and financial verification".
"Continuous improvement is standard regardless of isolated cases. We are confident that the combination of our internal expertise and verification processes is fit for purpose, such that only legitimate NZSPR applications receive the Rebate."
Breingan is credited as a producer on several television series aired across the New Zealand media landscape, including TVNZ, Sky, and TV3.
Stripe Media and 13 of its associated companies collapsed in 2024, leaving creditors across numerous projects owed more than $20 million. The company was placed into liquidation in March 2024.
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