Sacked Government bosses Diane Charlie-Puna and Nga Puna have been arrested and charged with multiple theft offences and conspiring to defraud following a months-long investigation by police.

The pair were in the Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon at Avarua after being flown from Aitutaki by police earlier in the day, they were in custody before they appeared in court.

Police spokesperson Trevor Pitt confirmed the pair were questioned by police before they arrived on Rarotonga. 
Defence lawyer Brian Mason represented Diane Charlie-Puna while Tim Arnold represented Nga Puna. Justice of the Peace Georgina Williams presided over the case. 

Crown lawyer, Annabel Maxwell-Scott said she would not oppose name suppression if it was sought.  But Arnold told JP Williams his client did not want name suppression as they knew people would find out their names regardless through “coconut wireless”.

Mason said name suppression was also not wanted for his client. Bail was approved by JP Williams and the defendant’s lawyers said the pair would like to return Aitutaki to look after their young child, which was not opposed by Maxwell-Scott.

Bail conditions are, that the pair are not to leave the Cook Islands without approval of the High Court, they are not to associate with any persons on a list provided by the lawyers and they have to surrender their passports to the High Court. Charlie-Puna and Puna will reappear in the High Court on October 28 at 1 pm via Zoom.

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Pitt said they were arrested and charged with multiple offences on Tuesday and remanded in custody to appear in the High Court at Avarua at 9.30am today.

Diane Charlie-Puna was sacked as Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands in early July following an investigation by the Office of the Public Service Commissioner and Cook Islands Police.

Charlie-Puna ceased employment from Infrastructure Cook Islands as of July 1, 2021 while PSC chief executive officer Myra Patai did not provide a reason for her termination after the office had disclosed in early May the former Infrastructure boss was under police investigation.

Following the launching of the investigation, she was suspended on full pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Charlie-Puna’s suspension in May came about a month after husband Nga Puna, the director of National Environment Service, was suspended on full pay pending an investigation by Cook Islands Police.

Just over a week after she was sacked it was announced Puna had been fired from his role as director of the National Environment Service.

His termination was disclosed by Office of the Prime Minister press secretary Jaewynn McKay on July 14.

Puna was suspended in April on full pay pending an investigation by Cook Islands Police. It is understood the investigation is ongoing.

Cook Islands News understands the investigation is over alleged misuse of public funds.

Police have said previously both investigations were related, without revealing any further details.

Following Charlie-Puna’s suspension, Willem Pille, who was the director of the ICI’s Civil Engineering Division, was appointed as acting Secretary of Infrastructure.

The latest development follows an earlier incident during Charlie-Puna’s stint as the head of ICI.

In 2019, former Public Service Commissioner Russell Thomas investigated Charlie-Puna over allegations she put up her family in the Edgewater Resort at taxpayer expense.

After suspending the former ICI secretary, Thomas later announced that she had been restored to her post, saying her spending at the Edgewater had been an “unintentional internal control oversight by Ms Diane Charlie-Puna (during) an extremely busy time”.

Puna was appointed the National Environment Service director in 2019.

In that same year, he came under fire after NES purchased a $65,000 luxury sport utility vehicle for him to carry out field work, however the vehicle was later transferred to the Queen’s Representative when it was determined it wasn’t fit for the purpose.