AN immigration consultant, charged in connection with a $500,000 fraud, has been allowed to keep his passport and to travel outside the territory until March despite strong objections from the prosecution.
Judge Gould varied the bail conditions for Arron Nattrass, 38, after defence counsel Kevin Egan made the application in the District Court yesterday.
Nattrass, a former New Zealand police officer, faces 38 charges including 19 counts of obtaining property by deception and one of conspiracy to defraud the New Zealand Government.
Mr Egan submitted that Nattrass needed to travel, principally to and from China and Canada where his client base is.
His application met with objection from prosecutor Kevin Zervos who said Nattrass had failed to appear at the Circuit Court in Broward County, Florida, on May 1, 1984, when a plea was due to be taken from him on a charge of grand theft. He said a warrant had been issued for Nattrass' arrest in the state.
But Mr Egan argued that the accused has never been arrested for or charged with grand theft.