New Zealand Police Staffer Convicted Following Massive Overtime Deception

Riki Toby, a former Kaitaia police staffer, faces sentencing for claiming $29,000 in unworked overtime through falsified timesheets in a major integrity breach.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 2, 2026, 4:27 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

Systematic Exploitation of Payroll Oversight

The investigation into Toby’s conduct revealed a systematic exploitation of the "My Police" internal system. As an Authorised Officer, Toby’s primary responsibilities involved processing individuals in police custody and managing the watchhouse. Between August 2024 and December 2025, he exploited his position by manually entering shifts on days he was not scheduled to work.

These fraudulent entries went unnoticed by his direct supervisor, a custody Sergeant, who approved the claims without verifying them against the actual duty roster. In total, Toby received $29,000 in additional payments for 42 days of unworked labor. The deception only came to light during the 2024–2025 New Year period when a specific entry triggered an automated rule violation regarding mandatory rest periods between shifts.

The Breakdown in Internal Control Systems

The discovery of the fraud was ultimately a result of a technicality rather than manual oversight. Senior professional conduct manager Inspector Anthony Tebbutt noted that a timesheet submitted for the New Year period breached the "9 hour rule," which mandates a minimum nine-hour break between consecutive shifts. This discrepancy flagged the entry for review by the Workforce Management Team.

Upon closer inspection, investigators found that Toby had claimed statutory holiday hours for a shift he was not rostered to work. This triggered a retrospective audit of his recent overtime claims, revealing a lack of any physical or digital evidence that Toby had been present at the station during the times cited. The subsequent criminal investigation led to Toby's resignation before formal employment disciplinary proceedings could commence.