The identity of a woman who stole over $1 million from the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) can now be revealed after she was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
Antoanette Du Preez, 50, pled guilty to one charge of representative fraud in August 2019, the NZ Herald reported. This was after the Serious Fraud Office found multiple fraudulent transactions totalling $1,062,973, occurring between January 2013 and August 2018.
According to the report, Preez initially claimed she stole the money because of a gambling addiction, but it was found that only around one-fourth of the funds were gambled away.
The money was also used to purchase cosmetic surgery in Thailand, gifts for the defendant’s family, and a jet ski. It was also used to pay off several high-interest loans.
Many of the people victimised by Preez were immigrants and spoke limited English.
According to CDHB acting chief executive Dr Andrew Brant, Preez dealt with individuals and insurance companies, and was in charge of arranging payment for people in Canterbury who were not eligible to receive publicly funded healthcare.
Brant said that once the DHB internal audit team found evidence of fraud, it recommended Preez’s suspension. The police were then notified and a third-party investigation was launched.
He said he was "extremely disappointed" that a former staff member would be behind such a scheme.
Following the investigation, it was recommended that the DHB make some changes in its internal controls to prevent incidents like these from happening again.
"We have ensured that no patients are out of pocket as a result of the individual's actions, and we are working with our insurers regarding the loss incurred by the DHB,” Brant said.
