A Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) case manager and his wife have been accused of committing one of the Ministry of Social Development's largest internal frauds.
The couple face 11 charges over the theft of $210,000 over seven years, from 2004 to March this year, when they were arrested.
The 43-year-old man, who is seeking permanent name suppression, was a case manager at the WINZ New Lynn branch in west Auckland, Radio New Zealand reports.
He and his 39-year-old wife each face five charges of obtaining a pecuniary advantage through WINZ benefits in family members' names.
The man is also accused of causing the ministry financial loss by accessing its computer systems.
The couple are on bail and are set to reappear in court in August.
Ministry of Social Development chief executive Brendan Boyle says the matter is still being investigated.
He says the ministry's biggest internal fraud involved the theft of $1.9 million by an employee in 2004.
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