Tourists try 'stupid' fraud

Two Japanese tourists who admitted making a false complaint to the Queenstown police on September 10, in hopes they could lodge an insurance claim to pay for their trip, each have a week to complete 50 hours of community work.

In the Queenstown District Court yesterday, Judge Kevin Phillips told Maskai Kitae (23) and Tomoyo Okamoto (23) they could "be carrying around a big plaque saying `I'm a thief' walking around the streets of Queenstown picking up rubbish" for the next week, or spend seven days in prison for their offending.

Senior Constable Chris Blackford said Kitae and Okamoto entered the Queenstown Police Station at a similar time on October 10, each making almost identical statements.

Kitae told Constable Daniel Andrew he had a bag stolen from Earnslaw Park which contained his wallet and $150 cash, a digital camera and a laptop.

He was asked repeatedly if it was a legitimate complaint and eventually admitted it was not.

"He thought he could make an insurance claim to pay for his trip.

"She had a similar story."

The pair are scheduled to leave the resort next Tuesday.

Judge Phillips asked the pair, through an interpreter, if they were told in Japan before they left they could make this type of claim.

"I have had similar cases of this kind in Queenstown before.

"It seems very odd to me that two people could go to the police station and make identical complaints about theft of each person's bag at the same time, containing the same gear, and in reality your claim had no hope of success at all.

"The sheer stupidity of it, for you to come to our country and try to commit this type of fraud, brings great shame upon both of you."

Judge Phillips told the pair their passports would be held until they had each completed their 50 hours of community work "and then you can leave the country and you won't be entitled to return".