New Zealand’s first refugee lawmaker charged after resigning over claims of shoplifting

Wellington, January 17

New Zealand’s first refugee lawmaker was charged by police a day after resigning amid allegations she had shoplifted several times at local high-end boutiques.

New Zealand Police said Golriz Ghahraman, a former member of New Zealand’s Green Party, had been charged, on Wednesday, with two counts of shoplifting at a store in Auckland’s Ponsonby.

“Today, a 43-year-old woman has been summoned to appear in the Auckland District Court on two charges of shoplifting,” a police statement said.

“These charges relate to incidents that allegedly occurred on December 21 and 23, 2023.”

Ghahraman is expected to appear in the Auckland District Court on February 1.

Ghahraman resigned, on Tuesday, without referring to the specific allegations, saying that “stresses relating to my work” led her to act “in ways completely out of character”.

“People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry,” she wrote in a statement.

“It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way. After medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well.”

“The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a member of parliament and to focus on my recovery and find other ways to work for positive change in the world.” Local media had earlier accused Ghahraman of shoplifting two times at Scotties Boutique in Auckland, and once at Cre8iveworkz in Wellington in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

On Tuesday, the New Zealand Herald published CCTV footage of the 42-year-old appearing to steal a handbag from the Auckland-based store.

Ghahraman is an Iranian-born, Oxford-educated human rights lawyer who sought asylum in New Zealand after the Iran-Iraq war.