A Christchurch couple has been given prison sentences for their roles in a nearly $4 million Ponzi scheme that affected more than 55 investors, many of whom were from Māori communities.
Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira, also known as Alex Tuira, received a sentence of six years and four months in Christchurch High Court after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) brought the case to trial. The court also imposed a minimum period of imprisonment, stipulating that Tuira must serve 45% of his sentence before he becomes eligible for parole.
His co-defendant and former spouse, Aroha Awhinanui Tuira, was handed a sentence of five years and two months.
The pair, who were married during the offending period, pleaded guilty in August to two representative charges of obtaining by deception.
From May 2014 to May 2021, they allegedly siphoned about $3.9 million through 106 transactions connected to three entities: Ngākau Aroha Investments Limited, Power to Me Tapui Aotearoa Limited, and Mai Gold Limited.
The SFO described the Tuira duo as projecting themselves as seasoned, well-connected investors capable of delivering returns, while in reality they neither invested funds nor ran a legitimate investment business. Instead, they allegedly ran a Ponzi-style scheme, using money from newer investors to pay earlier ones and funding personal expenses with the proceeds.
Their strategy largely targeted Māori communities, forging close personal bonds with investors—many with little investing experience—and then exploiting those trusted relationships.
The investigation began in 2021.
SFO director Karen Chang emphasized the broader harm of such fraud, noting that victims can lose their money and their faith in others. She added that the guilty pleas spared victims the stress of a trial, and that the sentences hold the offenders accountable for the substantial damage caused.
Chang also highlighted that fraud exploiting community ties can destabilize social trust and undermine the fabric of those communities, which is why the SFO prioritizes this type of offending.
The Serious Fraud Office also thanked the witnesses and victims who cooperated with the investigation.
