Guilty of WOF fraud

An Aucklander has been convicted for operating as an unapproved vehicle inspector and fraudulently issuing warrants of fitness (WOFs).

Imroz Taki, the owner of Newmarket Automotive Repairs, has been sentenced to 10 months and two weeks’ home detention.

Investigators from the NZTA found that between December 9, 2022, and June 6, 2023, he issued 677 WOFs despite not being appointed as an authorised inspector. 

Taki used the vehicle-inspector appointment belonging to a previous employee and had not completed any of the inspections.

The transport agency immediately cancelled Newmarket Automotive’s inspecting organisation authority and all WOFs issued by Taki during that time. 

Affected owners were contacted and a significant percentage of vehicles were found to have faults when rechecked elsewhere.

Nicole Botherway, the NZTA’s senior manager of safer vehicles, says: “It’s disappointing when fraud happens in the vehicle-inspecting system as the customer pays the price – having to pay for another WOF and potentially being at put at risk if faults exist and have gone unchecked.

“Through his actions, Taki risked the safety of the vehicle owners plus their passengers and other road users.

“People should be reassured the NZTA has access to data and intelligence to investigate when we have concerns about fraud. We take swift action and hold inspectors to account when vehicle safety is compromised.”

From a starting point of two years and six months behind bars, Auckland District Court Judge JM Jelas considered mitigating factors at sentencing on May 26, such as Taki’s guilty plea and prior good character.

He had the obligation to ensure only NZTA-appointed inspectors undertook inspection activities, made decisions on vehicle and component conditions, and approved the issue of WOFs.

Instead, Taki issued certifications without the vehicles being inspected by NZTA-appointed inspectors. Customers were charged $60 for each WOF, earning him more than $40,000 in undue revenue.