A media release will be issued shortly regarding the sentencing of a former president and club captain of Kapiti Softball Club, for manipulating and misusing grant funding from several gaming machine societies.
Lee Keating pleaded guilty and was convicted on six charges under the Crimes Act involving dishonestly using a document and theft in a trusted relationship. Today Mr Keating was sentenced to seven months home detention.
You can read the media release on our website.
The Department’s Deputy Director Gambling Compliance, Gareth Bostock, said that non-casino gaming machines raise more than $250 million annually for the community.
“It is fundamental to the integrity of the grants process that documents supplied to gaming societies are true and correct,” Mr Bostock said. “The misappropriation of funds is a serious offence and in effect is a crime against the community because grant funding is taken away from its intended community purpose.
“The support of the gaming machine societies involved in this investigation has been significant in this outcome. We work hard to foster collaboration and partnership with and across the gambling sector to assist its efforts in detecting, deterring and, where appropriate, prosecuting fraudulent activity within the sector so that grant funding benefits the communities it is intended for.”
We would like to thank those societies who assisted us with this investigation.
Today’s outcome demonstrates that working together helps us to ensure we maintain the integrity of the Class 4 sector and achieve the maximum benefit for communities.
