Comancheros kingpin, associates on trial

AUCKLAND: The president of the New Zealand chapter of the Comancheros bikie gang, a media personality and three others are on trial denying a slew of serious offending that includes money laundering.

Gang head Pasilika Naufahu and others were arrested last year in a police raid following a covert investigation dubbed Operation Nova.

Crown prosecutor David Johnstone said Naufahu arrived in the country from Australia in early 2016, and from that point he went about establishing his chapter.

Naufahu, his fellow Comancheros, their partners and families then started enjoying the material benefits that flowed from a whole series of criminal offences, he said.

‘‘The success of the group, until the police intervened, brought a whole range of things with it.

‘‘Brand new Range Rover after brand new Range Rover.’’

Properties including a $1.3 million Bucklands Beach house, ostentatious motorcycles and trips out on the harbour on a luxury launch, Mr Johnstone added.

The $1.3 million home was bought under the name of Naufahu’s 7yearold son as the purchaser, he said.

‘‘Another thing the success of the group brought with it was a problem,’’ Mr Johnstone said.

‘‘The problem, of course, was how to hide the crimes that were generating all this money.’’

A lot of pretending went on to conceal the true source of the money, and the group used a range of tactics to pretend that the source of the money was legitimate, he said.

The court heard lawyer Andrew Simpson was used to set up trusts for Naufahu and others.

As money was split from the lawyer’s account into these trusts it would end up ‘‘mixed up’’ and ‘‘churned around’’ in a bid to gain the appearance of legitimacy, Mr Johnstone said.

The Crown prosecutor is expected to continue his opening address this morning.

Naufahu faces charges of conspiracy to import a class A drug and conspiring to supply a class B drug, as well as three charges of money laundering.

The charges of money laundering relate to the purchase of a Ford Ranger, Bentley and a Jacon SG3 Trailer concrete pump, which together add up to more than $212,700.

Wiwini Himi Hakaraia, an accountant, faces a charge of participating in an organised criminal group, two charges of possession of a class A drug for supply, as well as three charges of money laundering.

Connor Clausen is charged with conspiring to supply the class B drug pseudoephedrine.

A media personality, who has name suppression, faces a charge of participating in an organised criminal group and two charges of money laundering.

The money laundering charges relate to the purchase of two concrete pumps totalling $439,700.

The last defendant, who also has name suppression, faces one charge of money laundering by depositing more than $292,000 in cash into various bank accounts.

The jury trial is expected to last four weeks and is presided over by Justice Graham Lang. — The New Zealand Herald