Ryan Bridge: How was a former Covid response lead able to steal $1.8 million?

This story should shock everybody, but it won't. Sadly. 

The headline? Former Covid response lead Alister Thorby stole $1.8 million from DHBs.

From us, taxpayers. 

This guy was 25 and yet somehow in charge of the DHBs’ response to the Covid pandemic in the Lower North Island.

He stole almost $2m over five months. He bought cars, holidays, a house. 

He was an MIQ boss. He submitted invoices for work that never happened. One invoice was for $300k. Two of the companies he invoiced for didn't even exist. 

Now, this is bad for two reasons:

1. How on earth does some 25-year-old who's been in the job just five months, bill $1.8m and get those invoices paid? That's criminal. Who signed off on the cheques? Who was in charge? It's outrageous. 

2. The timing. The Judge in this case points out the money went out the door at a time when the Government was scrambling to deal with Covid. Except this guy was employed October 2021 to June 2022. 

We were letting DJs through the boarder for Rhythm & Vines by then. The Wiggles were performing at Spark Arena. 

So that doesn't add up, in my mind. 

It wasn't panic stations, it was BAU by then. So, who was writing these cheques on our behalf? 

Something tells me this guy probably wasn't alone in taking the piss and taking us for a ride. Give fraudsters an inch, they'll take a mile. 

This was, after all, peak Ardern/Hipkins money tap era. We were throwing money out the window like there was no tomorrow. 

Was this the tip of the iceberg and will anyone, other than the guy to duped us, be held responsible for the fact it was allowed to happen in the first place? 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This story should shock everybody, but sadly, I don't think
it's going to the headline from yesterday. Former COVID response
lead stole one point eight million dollars from dhb's A
from us from taxpayer's name is Alister Thorby. This guy
was twenty five years old, yet somehow managed to be
in charge of the dhb's response to the COVID pandemic

(00:23):
in the Low and North Island. How he bought cars,
a holiday, a house even with this money. He was
an MiQ boss basically submitted invoices for work that never happened.
One invoice was for three hundred thousand dollars two of
the companies the invoice four didn't even exist. Now this
is bad for two reasons. One, how on earth does

(00:45):
some twenty five year old who's been in the job
for just five months bill one point eight million dollars
and get those invoices paid. That's criminal who signed off
on the checks, who was in charge? That is outrageous.
Number Two, the timing. The judging the case points out
that the money went out the door at a time
when the government was scrambling to deal with COVID. Except

(01:06):
this guy was employed October twenty twenty one to June
twenty twenty two. We were letting DJs through the border
for Rhythm and Vines. By then, the Wiggles were performing
Big Red Car at Spark Arena, So that doesn't add
up in my mind. It wasn't Panic Stations. It was
business as usual by then for COVID. So who was

(01:28):
writing the checks on our behalf? Something tells me this
guy probably wasn't alone in taking the purse, taking us
for a rider's taxpayers. Give fraudsters an inch, they'll take
a mile. This was, after all, peak Adern Hipkin's money
tap error, and the tap was on and it was
hosing out. We were throwing money out the window like
there was no tomorrow. Was this the tip of the iceberg?

(01:50):
And will anyone other than the guy who duped us
all be held responsible for the fact it was allowed
to happen in the first place. For more from Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to News Talks it
Be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.