Fourth shoplifting charge against Golriz Ghahraman

Police have laid a fourth shoplifting charge against former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman involving a shop in Auckland.

Charging documents obtained by The New Zealand Herald show Ghahraman is now alleged to have stolen a navy cardigan from Standard Issue in Newmarket valued at $389.

Police say the alleged theft occurred on December 22.

Previous charges related to Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby and Cre8iveworx in Wellington.

The fourth charge brings the total value of the goods she is alleged to have stolen to just over $10,000.

Police said the complainant in the fourth charge came forward in late January. That is after the initial three charges were laid.

Standard Issue's website says it offers “premium knitwear designed & made sustainably in New Zealand from the finest natural fibre”. 

Ghahraman's first court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday but has now been pushed back to March 20 after police told her lawyer Annabel Cresswell they were laying the fourth charge.

Cresswell said it was a standard adjournment for when a new charge is laid.

Police were considering diversion, she said.

Details from court documents for the first three charges show the 43-year-old is accused of stealing $2060 of clothing from Scotties Boutique in Auckland’s Ponsonby on December 21, and $7223 worth of clothing from the same store two days later last year.

Both of the Auckland charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Ghahraman is also charged with stealing $695 worth of clothing from Wellington’s Cre8iveworx store on October 22 last year. That charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.

In an earlier statement, Ghahraman, who resigned from Parliament in January, apologised for her behaviour and said she did not excuse her actions.