An Auckland business owner has been sentenced to four years in prison for visa violations, exploiting workers - and corruption

The Samoan national bribed employees at the Immigration New Zealand Samoa office to help illegally recruit overseas labourers.

The defendant, who has interim name suppression, would regularly make employees work more than 40 hours a week - and paid 100-dollars a day.

They've pleaded guilty to 11 charges for offences that took place between 2014 and 2021.