Man who lied about being a registered electrician fined $35K, put family at risk

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

A New Plymouth man was caught out after he used a false electrician registration number for work he completed on a family member's home.

A man who deceived his own family by claiming to be a registered electrician has been fined $18,000.

In 2015 New Plymouth man Tauke Whana told a family member he was a licensed electrician and could install wiring in a home the family member was building.

Whana was hired for the job, which involved a complete electrical fit out of the new property, and issued an electrical certificate of compliance with a false registration number when he finished.

It was later found Whana's work was faulty and potentially dangerous.

* Electrician fined over poor work**

Whana has been sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on charges of doing unauthorised prescribed electrical work; doing an act intending to cause another person to believe he was registered or licensed; and issuing a certificate of compliance in relation to particular prescribed electrical work when not authorised to certify that work.

He was fined $18,000, and ordered to repay solicitor and court costs

Registrar of the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) John Sickels said the case should serve as a timely reminder to ensure consumers always use a licensed electrical worker and ask for certification for all work carried out.

'This case is unique in that the defendant was found to be deceiving his own family about his qualifications to carry out electrical work,' Sickels said.

'It's important that people always ensure their electrical worker is licensed to do the job, even when the person carrying out the work is someone they know well.'

Sickles said the Board would continue to prosecute people who operated outside the law.

'Installing wiring and other electrical work is highly specialised and needs to be conducted by qualified professionals.

'We will continue to be vigilant in relation to unregistered and unlicensed workers and will prosecute wherever necessary.'