5 September 2024

The third defendant can now be named in a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) case alleging bribery and corruption related to the award of lucrative public sector construction contracts.

Milosi Toala, whose name suppression has now been lifted faces eight charges: six charges of obtaining by deception and two charges of corrupt use or disclosure of official information.

The SFO filed charges against Mr Toala in December 2023, alongside Henry Rogo (formerly the director of Trinity Construction Limited) and Daud Suryantyo a former project manager.

It is alleged that Mr Toala, Mr Suryantyo and Mr Rogo, acted together to obtain construction contracts from Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) and later, the Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB). The alleged offending involved disguising their existing business relationships and using Mr Suryantyo’s position within the public agencies to gain unfair advantages for his associates and to obtain a personal benefit.

In total, the two companies awarded the contracts are alleged to have received approximately $3.5 million in public funds.

SFO Director Karen Chang says “Cases that involve possible corruption of public officials are a priority for the SFO given our mandate to protect New Zealand’s financial and economic wellbeing. The SFO remains focused on pursuing those who threaten to undermine New Zealand’s reputation for transparency, integrity, and low levels of fraud and corruption.”

The SFO would like to again acknowledge RFA (now part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Limited) for bringing this matter to the SFO’s attention following their own internal investigation, and both RFA and CMDHB (now Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau) for their assistance.

The next court fixture on this matter is a trial callover on 3 December 2024.

See case timeline

Recent SFO case releases

• Defendants named in SFO bribery construction case (17 May, 2024)
• SFO alleges bribery and corruption of public official over lucrative construction contracts (21 December, 2023)

About the SFO 
The SFO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious or complex fraud, including bribery, and corruption in New Zealand. With a focus on maintaining integrity and trust in the financial system, the SFO has developed strategic areas of focus to ensure it has the greatest impact with the cases it takes in. These are reviewed and updated every 12-18 months.

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