Indian-Origin Couple Convicted for $2M Fraud on New Zealand Child Welfare Agency

An Indian-origin couple, Neha Sharma and Amandeep Sharma, have been convicted of defrauding New Zealand's child welfare agency Oranga Tamariki of over NZ$2 million by channelling government contracts to Amandeep's construction company, Divine Connection Ltd, without disclosing their marriage or conflicts of interest. Neha Sharma, who worked as a Property and Facilities Manager at Oranga Tamariki, used forged references to secure her job and facilitated over 200 maintenance jobs and 326 inflated invoices to her husband's company between 2021 and 2022, including payments for personal items. The couple fled to Chennai by business class flight when authorities began investigating but were apprehended and brought back to New Zealand. Neha Sharma was sentenced to three years in prison, while Amandeep Sharma's sentencing is scheduled for June. The Serious Fraud Office emphasized the case's significance in addressing abuse of public trust and highlighted the need for rigorous vetting of public servants. Authorities have located and restrained nearly $800,000 transferred overseas, with efforts underway to recover the funds.