The businessman found guilty of insider trading over the sale of Pushpay Holdings shares can now be named as Peter Huljich.
Huljich’s appeal against his conviction was heard by the Court of Appeal last month.
His appeal was dismissed but the Crown’s appeal against his sentence was allowed, increasing his fine from $100,000 to $200,000.
Name suppression was due to end on Friday morning, but Huljich said today he had chosen to disclose his identity early.
He said he was disappointed with the outcome in the Court of Appeal but intended to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
“I maintain my innocence and am hopeful that eventually I will be cleared of wrongdoing.
“This has been an incredibly challenging experience-both personally and professionally. It also serves as a cautionary tale for others in similar situations: it is all too easy to find yourself caught up in a situation with unintended legal consequences.
“This has been a difficult period for my family and me. I will continue to cooperate fully with all legal processes and reflect deeply on what has occurred.”
Huljich is part of the Auckland rich-lister Huljich family and is the son of Christopher Huljich.
He and his father founded Huljich Wealth Management, which was later sold to Fisher Funds.
A High Court jury earlier found Huljich guilty of insider trading and he was sentenced to six months’ community detention.
He appealed on the grounds that the verdict was unreasonable or that a miscarriage of justice arose.
The Crown appealed in turn, on the basis that the sentence was inadequate.
The Financial Markets Authority’s head of enforcement, Margot Gatland, said the authority was pleased with the Court of Appeal’s decision.
“Insider trading is a serious offence that undermines investor confidence in New Zealand markets. The FMA will continue to take action when we see this type of misconduct as it damages the trust and confidence in New Zealand’s financial markets and businesses.”
