Auckland retiree Sit Bong (Andrew) Che. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
A woman charged with theft after receiving a pensioner's life savings by mistake has entered a not guilty plea.
The 38-year-old West Auckland woman appeared before a magistrate at the Auckland District Court on Tuesday.
Auckland retiree Sit Bong (Andrew) Che, 78, mistakenly transferred $158,643 from the UK early last year to the wrong account after missing a digit when entering payment instructions for his own Westpac account.
Following the bank's own internal protocols, Westpac added a zero to the suffix, which ended up being another person's account.
The recipient refused to return the money despite complaints Che lodged with the police, the banks in New Zealand and the UK as well as the banking ombudsman in both jurisdictions.
Barclays Bank refunded Che's money in May, more than a year after the erroneous transfer occurred.
A 37-year-old West Auckland man also pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving $64,000 from the woman.
The pair face up to seven years' imprisonment if convicted.
They have been granted interim name suppression on the grounds of hardship and fair trial rights until their next appearance on 15 July.
The pair have been placed on bail with conditions that include not associating with the complainant.
