The Star: June 15, 2023

• By Barry Clarke
A DISABILITY day service has
launched an online fundraising
campaign in a bid to replace
five wheelchair vans which
have been stolen in the past six
months.
Police say the vans have been
targeted by offenders to use in
burglaries across Christchurch.
Chris Ruth Centre chief
executive Marilyn Paston said
yesterday a
Givealittle page
was being set up
to help replace
the vans, which
can cost up to
$80,000 each. It
was hoped the
fundraiser would
help bridge
the difference
between the
insurance cover and the cost to
replace the vehicles.
One van had been recovered
in Bryndwr and a youth arrested.
Police said it had been
used in burglaries. But the thief
had badly-damaged the ignition
and other parts of the vehicle
when stealing it from the Chris
Ruth Centre in Hoon Hay.
Another stolen van had been
located in Woolston; but before
it could be picked up and taken
back to the centre, it was stolen
again.
Paston said the thefts were
disheartening for the organisation.
It supports 120 people with
disabilities, taking them out on
day trips.
The organisation was now
having to rely on taxis and others
who were helping out.
“People just don’t realise the
impact it has on the people we
support. We really rely on those
vans to get people out to their
activities during the day. It’s just
not okay,” Paston said.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Oranga Tamariki manager charged with $2m fraud
• By Sam Sherwood and
Kurt Bayer
A WOMAN is accused of
forging reference letters to
secure a manager’s role at
Oranga Tamariki before
allegedly fraudulently obtaining
more than $2m.
Neha Sharma, 34, of Christchurch,
was due to appear in the
district court yesterday facing
four charges following an investigation
by the Serious Fraud
Campaign to replace
stolen wheelchair vans
Marilyn
Paston
Time
Office. However, when her case
was called it was revealed she
was in India.
The SFO alleges that between
January and February 2021
Sharma used written references,
knowing them to be forged,
from two people to get a job as
property facilities manager at
Oranga Tamariki.
It’s then alleged that between
July 25, 2021 and October
27, 2022, she and Amandeep
Singh obtained a pecuniary
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totalling $2.1m made to Divine
Connection Limited in relation
to 326 invoices by Divine Connection
to Oranga Tamariki.
Amandeep Sharma is the
director of Divine Connection.
The pair also face a charge of
money laundering $791,500.
Amandeep Sharma appeared
before Judge Brian Callaghan
yesterday.
Crown prosecutor Karyn
South, acting on behalf of the
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SFO, said Neha Sharma was
in India. Neha Sharma had
given birth in the last week, and
had planned to return to New
Zealand when she was able to
with her child, the pair’s lawyer,
Craig Ruane, said yesterday.
South requested an arrest warrant
and requested Amandeep
Singh surrender his passport.
Judge Callaghan said the warrant
would lie in court until the
next appearance on July 26.
- NZ Herald
NOT OKAY:
One of the
wheelchair
vans stolen
from the
Chris Ruth
Centre in
Hoon Hay.
SUPPORT
The centre is
fundraising
to replace
the six
stolen vans
which were
used to take
people with
disabilities
on day trips.
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Thursday June 15 2023 The Star
NEWS 3
Catherwood
says he
should
have got
full payout
•From page 1
In July 2018, Catherwood’s
wife passed away from breast
cancer, prompting him to have
medical tests, despite feeling
healthy.
To his shock, the tests revealed
a tumour at the top of his
stomach. In January 2019 he
was diagnosed with oesophageal
adenocarcinoma, a type of
stomach cancer.
By the end of the month,
Catherwood was having
problems swallowing and was
told he would likely die in a
year if he didn’t get treatment.
Catherwood began eight weeks
of chemotherapy followed by
surgery in May 2019. He then
had a further eight weeks of
chemotherapy.
He made a claim under his
trauma recovery insurance and
received $564,185.
But Catherwood said he
should have got a full payment
of $1.2 million from Asteron, as
he met the definition of being
terminally ill.
Catherwood took Asteron to
the High Court for breaching the
contract. However, in a judgment
released in December last year,
Justice Rachel Dunningham
ruled in favour of Asteron.
The policy stated an insured
person was “terminally ill” when
“your life expectancy is not
greater than 12 months”.
Catherwood, who is now
cancer free, took his case to
the Court of Appeal claiming
Justice Dunningham failed to
interpret the relevant definition
and wording in Asteron’s life
insurance policy.
On Tuesday at the Court
of Appeal in Christchurch,
Catherwood’s lawyer Henry
Holderness said the words
“regardless of” have “one
ordinary and plain meaning”.
The judges reserved their
decision.
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