Former financial adviser Yuen Pok (Paul) Loo received a sentence at the Manukau District Court involving six months of community detention with a curfew from 7pm to 7am, 200 hours of community work, and 12 months of intensive supervision.
The sentence was handed down following a successful prosecution by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA), highlighting a significant breach of trust within the financial services sector.
According to the FMA, Loo admitted guilt to multiple offences in September 2023, including:
These charges stem from Loo’s actions of forging a letter that falsely claimed his company, Wisdom House Investment Partners Limited (Wisdom House), had been granted a full financial advice provider license by the FMA. Furthermore, Loo engaged in providing financial advice without the necessary registration and continued to do so despite FMA’s direct orders to cease.
The FMA had previously revoked the transitional financial advice provider license of Wisdom House in December 2021 and, in August 2022, issued a permanent stop order against both Loo and his company. This order was a preventive measure, barring them from offering financial advice services and managing investments on behalf of others.
Judge Jonathan Moses, in delivering the sentence, noted that were it not for Loo’s particular employment situation, a more stringent sentence of home detention would have been imposed.
FMA head of enforcement Margot Gatland emphasised the gravity of Loo’s actions.
“Mr Loo’s conduct was a serious breach of the ethical standards expected of financial advisers. His actions undermine the integrity and reputation of the financial advice profession and financial markets. [The] sentence sends a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated,” she said.
In other news, the government recently revealed its intention to provide clarity and reduce bureaucratic procedures for institutions and New Zealanders, with the FMA taking on a key role.
