Neha Sharma was seen by her colleagues at Oranga Tamariki as a reliable, diligent property manager. What they didn’t know was that she was hiding a significant personal conflict of interest—her secret marriage to Amandeep Sharma, the director of a construction company called Divine Connection. That concealed relationship became the cornerstone of a fraudulent scheme that saw the couple siphon more than $2 million from the government agency.

Divine Connection Limited was added to Oranga Tamariki’s contractor system in mid-2021, shortly after Neha Sharma joined the agency. At first glance, the company seemed legitimate. But within eight months, inconsistencies in the company’s paperwork raised internal concerns. Invoices lacked essential details, and suspicions grew around Sharma’s involvement. Unknown to her colleagues, she had used her position to give Divine Connection exclusive access to jobs, approve inflated invoices, and conduct business on its behalf—all while being married to its director.

Text messages between the couple revealed a casual, confident attitude toward their misconduct. Neha reassured her husband that they had a “robust plan” and encouraged him to celebrate early retirement, highlighting their view of the fraud as a successful financial strategy rather than a crime.

The fraud unravelled in late 2022, when an internal complaint at Oranga Tamariki prompted a closer look at Sharma’s allocation of jobs to Divine Connection. Colleagues noted that she bypassed standard processes and directly funnelled work to the company. Even when other staff members raised minor perceived conflicts of interest, Sharma deflected attention, ironically requesting forms to highlight others’ integrity while concealing her own.

The truth began to surface in November 2022. Sharma was invited to a meeting to discuss the apparent conflict of interest after officials traced Divine Connection back to her home address. She resigned within hours of receiving the meeting notification, claiming she was being targeted. Minutes later, her husband was removed as director of Divine Connection, and a new name was added—Prince Bajaj—without Bajaj’s knowledge or consent. The company’s address was also changed in a transparent attempt to obscure the connection.
Following her resignation, Sharma secured another government role at the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), again using fake references and email accounts created under the names of former colleagues. But her luck ran out in March 2023, when the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) raided the couple’s property. Investigators discovered the couple had amassed three homes, three vehicles, and nearly $800,000 in cash. They had also attempted to liquidate assets and booked one-way business class flights to India, transferring large sums to Indian bank accounts in the process.

The SFO’s probe confirmed the fraudulent payments: 103 separate payments for 326 inflated or falsified invoices, totalling $2.1 million. Some invoices were for items like a television for their personal home. Neha Sharma had full authority to approve them, and in many cases, did so during work hours while managing the budget for the properties assigned to Divine Connection.

Neha Sharma eventually pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including fraud and money laundering, and was sentenced to three years in prison. Her defence blamed “baby brain,” but the Crown found no evidence of remorse or attempts to repay the stolen funds. Amandeep Sharma has since pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
Oranga Tamariki has since revamped its internal systems, conflict-of-interest policies, and supplier vetting procedures. The agency stated that while most of its employees act with integrity, this case serves as a sobering reminder of the damage caused when trust is abused.

SFO Director Karen Chang emphasized the broader implications of the case, stating it harmed public confidence and highlighted the need for stricter oversight of public servants. Investigative support from police and Indian authorities also helped secure the couple’s assets abroad, ensuring a measure of accountability for the significant breach of public trust.

The incident has shocked the Indian community in New Zealand, people are finding it hard to believe that a couple who seemed so decent and well-behaved could be behind such a big scam, giving the whole community a bad name.
-TIN Bureau