UPDATED 9.59AM Prominent Maori leader Sir Ngatata Love has been found guilty of obtaining property by deception in a $1.8 million fraud connected to a Wellington property development.

Justice Graham Lang handed down the verdict in the High Court at Wellington today, but reserved his decision on conviction until sentencing in October.

The fraud occurred in 2006 and 2007 when Love was chaiman of the Wellington Tenths Trust, and related to a property development in Pipitea Street.

Love met with developers about the project and made an agreement with them regarding the lease of land in Pipitea Street, which included a $3m payment from the developers to the trust.

But when Love notified the trust about the agreement with the developers, he kept details of the payment to himself.

Part of the monies were paid by the trust to a company, Pipitea Street Development, which was set up by Love's partner Lorraine Skiffington, and was then transferred to two trust accounts and used in part to pay some of a mortgage on the pair's Plimmerton home.

"I am satisfied that Dr Love knew about all of those transactions and indeed that he was instrumental certainly in arranging the early transfers involving Pipitea Street Developments," Justice Lang said.

Justice Lang said in failing to tell his fellow trustees about the $3 million payment he omitted to dislcose imformation that he was duty bound to reveal.

He said the trust was entitled to made a decision on the lease agreement on an informed basis, which did not occur because Love withheld the information.

Skiffington was also charged but has been granted a permanent stay due to her ill health, while Ngatata Love's son Matene Love had already pleaded guilty to accepting a secret commission.

Love has been released on bail pending sentencing on October 6.