Alleged Auckland Pride Centre fraudster Martin van der Reit faces up to seven years imprisonment if found guilty of charges laid against him last week, relating to nearly $40,000 worth of missing funds. Van der Reit, who was first arrested on February 21, now faces seventeen charges of using a document for pecuniary gain, and one charge of perverting the course of justice. Each charge carries a maximum seven-year sentence, and police believe they have a strong case. Detective Constable Richard Morgan of the Auckland Commercial Fraud Squad says van der Reit has been released on bail, but his passport has been seized to prevent him from leaving the country. Morgan says the complexity of the investigation and a backlog of other cases accounts for the lengthy time taken to make an arrest. Van der Reit's next court appearance is scheduled for April 14, which will be pre-depositions hearings. There will be a further round of depositions hearings before the case goes to trial, meaning the affair is likely to drag out until the end of this year.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 17th March 2005 - 12:00pm