The trial of two former Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority employees charged over an alleged fraud involving a government-funded waste-to-energy plant on the West Coast began today.

Gerard Anthony Gallagher, 62, and Simon Carl Nikoloff, 57, were both working for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) in 2017 when they were the subject of an investigation by the State Services Commission (SSC) into alleged private property deals.

The SCC referred the pair to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as a result and they were later charged.

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