New Urewera accused face court

Three more men faced firearms charges in Tauranga and Whakatane courts today in a sequel to last year's so-called anti-terror raids.

One of the three, a 24-year-old Ruatoki man, appeared in Whakatane District Court today facing nine charges related to the Ruatoki police raids in October last year.

The man was remanded for a depositions hearing in Auckland District Court on March 5 and granted name suppression and bail.

Together with others, he was charged with eight counts of unlawful possession of firearms, including a military-style semi automatic rifle, double barrel sawn off shotgun, and a Ruger rifle with stainless steel barrel and scope.

He was also charged with the unlawful possession of Molotov cocktails.

Meanwhile two men who appeared in Tauranga District Court today on firearms charges linked to the police raids on "terror" suspects last October have been bailed for a week.

Raunatiri Hunt, a 44-year-old security guard, and Tekaumarua Wharepouri, 46, a nurse, both from Maketu, 30km southeast of Tauranga, each faced seven counts of unlawfully possessing a range of guns.

They did not enter pleas before Judge Louis Bidois, who gave them until February 26 to arrange legal representation.

Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones had asked for the pair to be transferred to Auckland District Court where 16 others charged last year are due for a depositions hearing on March 5.

Judge Bidois said the newly arrested men needed time to get legal aid applications underway. He did not want them to "get lost" in the system in Auckland.

Strict bail conditions included residential and non-association clauses, passports to be surrendered and a ban on firearms.

The judge made an exception for the accused to associate with well-known Tuhoe activist Tame Iti when required for work purposes.

Charges alleging possession of firearms except for some lawful, proper and sufficient purpose all relate to Whakatane between October 11 and 14 last year along with several co-accused.

The weapons specified are a double barrel sawn-off shotgun, an SKS or AK47 semi-automatic rifle, an Lliai SLR rifle without magazine, an SKS with Dragunov style stock and banana magazine, a rifle with scope, a semi-automatic rifle with a scope and a Ruger rifle with stainless barrel and scope.

There was a public outcry following the so-called anti-terrorism raids at Ruatoki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, centre of the Ureweras-based Tuhoe tribe.

Similar raids were carried out in Whakatane, Palmerston North, Auckland and Wellington.

- NZPA