Former dairy executive sentenced for receiving $320,000 in kickbacks

Simon Stewart, a former group market manager for Open Country Dairy, has been sentenced to 12 months of home detention. He appeared in the Manukau District Court on Thursday and was ordered to pay $250,000 in reparation to his former employer.

Between April 2019 and October 2023, Stewart accepted nearly $320,000 in payments from the Indonesian customer PT Anta Tirta Kirana. This total included 27 bank transfers ranging from $6,980 to $22,767, as well as the equivalent of $43,000 in foreign cash.

Stewart pleaded guilty in July to one charge of accepting a gift by an agent under the Secret Commissions Act. He provided commercially sensitive pricing information, advice, and assistance to the Indonesian company to influence business dealings.

The Serious Fraud Office stated that Stewart's conduct had the potential to damage confidence in New Zealand's dairy export industry. SFO director Karen Chang said, “It is essential that those who engage in corrupt practices are held to account, particularly when their actions risk impacting the integrity and reputation of a key sector”.

How it developed

• Fri 16 Oct, 1:39pmThe report details that Stewart's interactions with the Indonesian company began in 2018 via text message and involved persuading co-workers to provide better deals.

Where reports differ

• One report identifies the cash component as $43,000 in foreign cash, while another specifies it as almost $14,000 and US$20,000 in cash
• One report describes Open Country Dairy as New Zealand's largest independent dairy manufacturer, while others describe it as the country's second-largest milk processor

Compiled from reports by Stuff, RNZ, 1News and NZ Herald.