The Serious Fraud Office says Wallace Tamamotu Te Ahuru has appeared in Manukau District Court on fraud charges.

Mr Te Ahuru, 30, is a former employee of the Waitangi National Trust Group and was charged with two charges of obtaining by deception and seven charges of using forged documents. He was not required to enter a plea during his appearance at the court on 14 August.

He is alleged to have defrauded  the Waitangi National Trust Group of about $1.2 million while he was employed as its Corporate Services Manager. In this role he was responsible for the financial administration of the trust.

The SFO says Mr Te Ahuru is believed to have acted alone in the alleged offending.

Mr Te Ahuru, who returned from Australia recently, has been remanded on bail to reappear at the Manukau District Court on 4 September.