NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) welcomes the recent sentencing of a former vehicle inspector for dishonestly accessing the Motor Vehicle Register (MVR) and issuing fraudulent warrants of fitness (WoFs), noting the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others.
Former vehicle inspector Diosdado Junior Subayno Pugosa was sentenced to five months’ home detention in the North Shore District Court on 30 October 2024 for the offending.
Following a tip off, an investigation by NZTA found that from 20 August 2022 to 24 July 2023 Mr Pugosa recorded and issued 94 WoFs for vehicles he had not properly inspected.
During sentencing, District Court Judge Fraser acknowledged the public safety concern and that it was clear that Mr Pugosa had not properly checked the vehicles before issuing WoFs. Judge Fraser said Mr Pugosa needed to be held accountable for the harm done to his employer and the WoF system on which the community depends.
As soon as the fraud was identified, Mr Pugosa’s vehicle inspector appointment was suspended and then revoked (cancelled) by NZTA. WoFs issued by him were also revoked and affected vehicle owners were asked to get a new WoF to ensure their vehicles were safe to drive.
“We take swift action and hold vehicle inspectors to account when vehicle safety is compromised. A WoF is a general safety check and the consequences of a vehicle not being thoroughly checked and passed as safe to be driven are high. An unsafe vehicle on the road puts the driver, passengers and other road users’ safety at risk,” says Nicole Botherway, NZTA Senior Manager Safer Vehicles.
The NZTA Safer Vehicles team regularly reviews inspecting organisations and vehicle inspectors to check compliance. If serious non-compliance is found, the team ensures that the right regulatory response is applied, including enforcement action.
