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

WELLINGTON (AP) — 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. Ghahraman, who was the party’s justice and foreign affairs spokesperson, is expected to appear in the Auckland District Court on Feb. 1. On Tuesday, without referring to the specific allegations, Ghahraman resigned with immediate effect, saying that “stresses relating to my work” led her to act “in ways completely out of character.”