19 July 2023
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wel ington 6011
PO Box 805, Wel ington
Phone 04 495 7200
John Sutton
Email
[email address]
[FYI request #23068 email]
dia.govt.nz
Tēnā koe John,
Your Official Information Act 1982 request, reference OIA 22/23-0923
I am responding to your email of 9 June 2023 to Te Tari Taiwhenua | the Department of
Internal Affairs requesting the fol owing under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“
Can You please supply details of any audits or investigations completed involving
Matthew Edwards or Molrudee Kasamchaiyan.”
I outline below a high-level summary of the investigations undertaken by Te Tari Taiwhenua
involving Matthew Edwards and Molrudee Kasemchaiyanan:
The complainant in this case was a non-profit company that distributes net proceeds from
gambling, collected, for example, from gaming machines. Mr Edwards and Ms
Kasemchaiyanan, professional pool players, entered into an arrangement with two others
whereby the New Zealand Pool Association (NZPA) would apply to the non-profit
company for grant funding. Because of this, over four years the NZPA received over
$100,000 in grant funding from the non-profit company. Of this funding, it was alleged
that Mr Edwards and Ms Kasemchaiyanan used portions for personal travel and/or
accommodation or retained unspent grant funds rather than returning them as required.
It was al eged that Mr Edwards and Ms Kasemchaiyanan also used these funds to pay for
an individual to travel to Beijing, which was not in accordance with the specific purpose
for which the funding applications were made. Fol owing the death of Ms
Kasemchaiyanan, the prosecution was reviewed and then discontinued. The charges
were subsequently dismissed.
The charges related to the above matters were ultimately dismissed.
You have the right, under section 28 of the Act, to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Jeremy Cauchi
Tumuaki | Director Ministerial, Monitoring, and Capability
