The last two defendants in the fraud case against failed lender Rockforte Finance have been sentenced today in the High Court in Gisborne. The Serious Fraud Office said former director Nigel O’Leary was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to nine charges including theft by a person in a special relationship, obtaining by deception, false statement by promoter …

The Serious Fraud Office intends to withdraw two charges against former South Canterbury Finance group accountant Terrence Hutton in the country’s biggest ever fraud case. The white-collar crime investigator won’t pursue two charges alleging false accounting in relation to the recording of a $25 million loan and a $10 million loan after reviewing the charges originally laid in December 2011, …

New Zealand’s trade deficit narrowed more than expected last month as the nation exported more milk powder, butter and cheese while imports fell. The deficit was $199 million in September, down from a revised gap of $1.23 billion in August, according to Statistics New Zealand. The annual deficit was $1.54 billion, from $2.1 billion the previous month. A monthly deficit …