An Auckland man has been found not guilty by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of trying to bribe an Auckland council official.
Johnson Yuejun Li was alleged to have offered an Auckland Council planner $1000 cash in November 2013 while seeking consent to subdivide a Hillsborough property.
It was referred to the SFO and today SFO director, Julie Read delivered her ruling.
If he'd been convicted of bribing an official, Li could have faced up to seven years in prison. This is also the case if the official chooses to accept the offer or if they don’t report the incident after it happens.
Ms Read says clamping down on complex fraud helps protect New Zealand's reputation as a safe place to invest and do business.
"The SFO's role as lead investigating agency in relation to corruption and bribery matters is to protect New Zealand's reputation as a safe place to invest and do business. The only way New Zealand will retain its good reputation is to bring matters to our attention if employees are concerned about possible unethical practices. The SFO will present it to the Court to decide."
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