A New Zealand immigration officer and his accomplice have both pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption charges, following an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
Former Border Control Officer Meng Yam Lim pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court today to four charges. Kooi Leng Pang, the accomplice, pleaded guilty to four charged as a party to the same offences.
According to a SFO spokeswoman, Lim and Pan allegedly conspired to receive $26,500 for immigration assistance in 2013.
According to reports, 64-year-old Lim is originally from Singapore, but has lived in New Zealand for the past 40 years. He has worked in the airport since 2008–his job is to assess whether passengers met the country’s entry requirements.
Pan, on the other hand, is originally from Malaysia. According to the SFO, she had an unspecified job at the airport.
“The rules, whether they are about immigration or anything else, are intended to apply to everyone equally. Circumvention of the rules undermines any fairness in society,” said SFO director Julie Read, who added that these kinds of cases are harmful to the country’s reputation.
“Circumvention of the rules undermines any fairness in society.”
Both Lim and Pan are both set to be sentenced on September 10, 2015
