[ad_1]
Alden Williams / Stuff
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel was acquitted by the Serious Fraud Office.
An investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the election donations of Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel has reportedly cleared her of any wrongdoing.
John Minto, who campaigned against Dalziel for mayor last year, said Thursday that he had received an email from the SFO saying it had found no evidence of criminal conduct on Dalziel’s part and that it had closed its investigation.
Police referred a complaint about Dalziel’s donations to the agency in February after it allegedly failed to identify donors who made significant contributions to his campaign for re-election in October 2019.
Election rules allow candidates to accept anonymous donations of less than $ 1,500, but the complaint alleges that the mayor did not reveal the names of six donors who contributed more than that.
READ MORE:
* OFS investigations into Christchurch and Auckland mayors ‘ongoing’
* Serious Fraud Office launches investigations against mayors Lianne Dalziel and Phil Goff
* Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel is “ disappointed ” that she was not informed of the OFS case.
* Police can now analyze Christchurch Mayor’s campaign donations in 2016
Her election statement listed only her husband, attorney Rob Davidson, as a donor in a fundraising drive in July 2019 that raised just over $ 40,000.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / THINGS
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel is asked about the Serious Fraud Office investigation into her election funding. (Video first posted on March 1, 2020)
The email sent to Minto on Thursday morning stated that the OFS had “completed its investigation into the donations made to Lianne Dalziel during the Christchurch City Council elections.”
“We did not find any evidence of criminal conduct and therefore we have closed the investigation. Today (Thursday) we will make a statement to the media about the closure of the investigation, “he said.
A spokeswoman for the Christchurch City Council said the Council would not comment on the decision until the SFO had issued an official statement.
At the time the complaint was forwarded to the OFS, Dalziel said she was “quite surprised and I suppose disappointed that they had not given me any advice” about what was happening.
On Thursday, Minto said he was disappointed and surprised by the OFS decision.
The election spending of Auckland Mayor Phil Goff was also analyzed this year. The result of that investigation has yet to be revealed.
