Police have arrested another funeral director in relation to an investigation relating to inappropriate handling of burials at an Auckland cemetery.
Waikumete Cemetery Photo: SUPPLIED
The man is the second person to be arrested as police investigate complaints that bodies were disinterred following flooding at the Waikumete Cemetery in early 2023.
Police have also been investigating fraud allegations.
The Auckland man arrested on Friday has been charged with obtaining money by deception.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the investigation was ongoing and police could not rule out further charges being laid.
“Our investigation team has been looking at allegations that loved ones’ remains were inappropriately handled at the cemetery’s mausoleum.”
Investigators had been working through complex issues and were still keen to hear from other families that may have been impacted or had concerns, he said.
Last month, Fiona Bakulich, who is a former employee of Tipene Funerals, was charged with mishandling human remains and nine counts of obtaining by deception.
The charges also related to bodies disinterred at Waikumete Cemetery during flooding in 2023.
She will be sentenced in April.
The Auckland man arrested on Friday is expected to appear in Auckland District Court on 20 March.
