Fraudster council company boss refuses to answer questions after returning from Fiji
Tuesday, 27 September 2022
A council company boss wanted for alleged drink-driving in the US had nothing to say as he touched down in New Zealand from Fiji.
Tim Boyd was the boss of ratepayer-owned Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL), but quit earlier this month.
It has since emerged that he previously faced a number of civil lawsuits over fraud and unpaid money in the US, was ordered to pay $30 million in damages, was charged with drink-driving in 2011, 2014 and 2018, and faced a restraining order from an ex-fiancee.
Boyd is yet to comment on any of the revelations – and remained silent again when he was confronted by Stuff reporters at Christchurch Airport on Tuesday afternoon, repeatedly saying: “No comment”.
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**
Boyd arrived back in Christchurch on a flight from Fiji. He exited the international arrival area alone and refused to answer questions about the money he owes and the charges he is facing.
He also had no message for the Christchurch ratepayers – who own CCHL, the company of which he was chief executive.
He quickly got into a taxi and left.
There is an active warrant for Boyd’s arrest in Arizona, over charges from 2018 relating to alleged drink-driving.
He was also charged with failing to control his speed to avoid a collision, to give information, and to obey [police], and was allegedly also driving while suspended.
Boyd or his companies have been sued nine times in the US, according to court records.
The lawsuits, eight of which ruled against Boyd, contained allegations of fraud and unpaid money.
Judgments from the lawsuits have ordered Boyd to pay NZ$30m of damages, the majority of which remains unpaid, according to plaintiffs.
One of the lawsuits against Boyd, over a $390,000 debt, played out in a Los Angeles court while Boyd was working as a senior adviser in the strategy and insights team at the Ministry of Social Development. He worked there from April 2019 until September 2021.
Boyd then joined CCHL as chief executive in March this year. He quit earlier this month – though his resignation is not official until December 6.
An interim chief executive, Paul Silk, has already been parachuted in to run CCHL.
An external review into Boyd’s employment history and any legal matters in the US, Australia and New Zealand is under way.
CCHL said last week it may take time as it was committed to “acting in good faith as a good employer towards Mr Boyd”.
CCHL has also audited all contracts and financial transactions which took place during Boyd’s tenure. The Christchurch City Council is set to review this process.
It remains unclear what CCHL was paying Boyd – and whether he is still getting paid – though some salary details will be released later this week in the company’s annual report. The chief executive role has traditionally paid more than $350,000.
Boyd is not the only recent departure from CCHL.
Chairperson Jeremy Smith and director James Gough quit the board within hours of each other in late August.
The company said Smith resigned as travel requirements meant he could not fulfil the role’s commitments.
Asked about his resignation on Tuesday, Gough said: “If you cannot own collective decisions of the board, then I don’t think it’s useful to remain.”