Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad

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  • Michael Fitzgerald,

    So Omar Hamed is charged with playing with someone elses firearm while the owner wasn't there?

    Do any of the police (or who ever they were) have firearms licenses for the weapons they use?

    A hand gun group stated cops min. requirement is less than their requirement to own the same weapon.

    I've never had a firearms licence and only played with what your tax dollars paid for.
    Why is there a need for the distiction?
    Indeed are the police (or who ever) using their weapons legally?
    They operated their cars minus WOF for a few months. Has anyone tested cops right to firearms when unlicenced users?

    Since May 2007 • 631 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The Herald rescues its reputation somewhat this morning with an editorial demanding open justice in the current proceedings. Amen.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    The bio on Scoop, posted by his supporters, says he's "Half-Palestinian half Pakeha NZer, born in Greece but raised in New Zealand":

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00390.htm

    That bio could be a little one-sided. It might be that there's another side to him which will come out in court.

    However if that's not the case, he sounds exactly like the sort of person who should be left to go about their political activities without interference. Born of two cultures, taken an interest from a young age in issues to do with youth pay, the investment of NZ superfund money in Burma, articulate.

    Sounds to me like the sort of young person we want coming up both sides of the political spectrum.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Dammit that 'feature' which means you can't close a quote directly after a url is starting to annoy me.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Dammit that 'feature' which means you can't close a quote directly after a url is starting to annoy me.

    Just slip in a little carriage return ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Another one granted bail: Marama Mayrick.

    She's a film-maker who works with Rongomai Bailey. There seems to be a bit of a pattern of young high-achievers.

    I also chanced across the name of one of the arrestees who still has name suppression. Her name will not be unfamiliar in protest and police circles.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Her name will not be unfamiliar in protest and police circles.

    Sue Bradford?

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Peters doing a Don Brash - Sharples

    Now this isn't very fair reporting - everyone knows Winnie was playing race cards long before Don was even dealt into the game.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye,

    The Herald rescues its reputation somewhat this morning with an editorial demanding open justice in the current proceedings.

    Well, of course the media wants open justice - as long as the police don't say anything, the only exciting new developments they'll be able to spin will come from bloggers and bebo.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Well, of course the media wants open justice - as long as the police don't say anything, the only exciting new developments they'll be able to spin will come from bloggers and bebo.

    Marama Mayrick has a forthcoming exhibition at a Hamilton cafe that has a MySpace page.

    There's tomorrow's lead!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Marama Mayrick has a forthcoming exhibition at a Hamilton cafe that has a MySpace page.

    There's tomorrow's lead!

    If it's not on bebo they'll never find it!

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    This shit is really concerning me:

    "My client's case has been transferred to Auckland without his consent, he's been denied bail, he cannot speak to his lawyer, and whereas the Crown can gain access to the High Court to hear its appeal on the same day, my client has to wait over a week without even being given a date to hear his appeal," Mr Bott said.

    If Graeme can spare any more of his time I would love to know whether this is normal.

    (To me it would be unacceptable even if it were, but I'm interested in whether the "terror" accused are receiving normal treatment. The person concerned is the aquaintance of mine I referred to in an earlier thread.)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    I would also love more of Graeme's time. It is hard to know what is standard and what is unique in the treatment of these cases. What purpose is this secrecy serving? Or is that too, "top secret".

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Meanwhile Justice John Wilde in the Wellington High Court has transferred four "terror" case accused's bail appeals to the Auckland registry today citing a lack of resources in Wellington to hear the appeals.

    That also seems pretty weird. We're not talking about the Temuka Community Centre here, we're talking about the Wellington High Court. Presumably hearing a whole heap of big serious cases every year. There's some judges and lawyers in Wellington I hear.

    Lacks the resources to hear bail appeals? Come again?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    I found this quote from Moana Jackson here.

    "We must not define our people as terrorists. We might not agree with their methods but there's no place for words like rebel, heathen or savage."

    Jackson criticised the use of the term terrorism when search warrants and arrests were done under the Summary Offences Act.

    People had been arrested under the Firearms Act and held in custody while police tried to accumulate evidence to justify charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, which requires approval from the Attorney General, Jackson said.

    What do people think of that? I think it is quite relevant but I don't have enough legal knowledge to go around shooting my mouth off.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Finn Higgins,

    Stephen, that stuff concerns me too - I think it's arguably the most worrying aspect of the whole affair that is being discussed in public by anybody with any meaningful direct involvement.

    However, I do think it's unfortunate that the only opposition that's being fronted to this situation comes with some serious signal-to-noise problems. This is the single strong salient point the Indymedia et al crew have to work with right now, and yet they're largely blowing their chance at a wider hearing with a whole lot of their usual brand of over-excited paranoid hyperbole about political prisoners, police states, racist oppression, land confiscation and god knows what else.

    I don't think that does the cases of the people involved any good whatsoever. All the fund raising appeals for them that have landed in my inbox have been exasperating in their lack of ability to avoid paranoid rambling that might just seem reasonable were the author living in Burma rather than New Zealand. Sticking to the facts and laying off the borderline delusional spin would be gold right now, and might help swing enough public support to get some light cast on the importance of proper and fair process in deciding what's actually been going on.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2007 • 209 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The police evidence is now in the hands of the Solicitor General, the country's senior non-political law officer.

    The story says its assessment has been delegated to him by the Attorney General, Michael Cullen, but my impression was that's the way the TSA works anyway.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    Six men accused of a vicious attack on an 18-year-old Auckland man have appeared this afternoon in a courtroom packed with more than 60 of the victim's family and friends.

    Isaiah Wall, 18, of Hamilton, is in a coma and on life support after being attacked at a gathering in Auckland's Te Atatu North on Saturday night.

    All six were remanded on bail to reappear in Waitakare District Court on November 12.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/4254593a10.html

    Like Stephen above I'd love to hear something on how these people get immediate bail but the so-called 'Terror' suspects don't.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    __People had been arrested under the Firearms Act and held in custody while police tried to accumulate evidence to justify charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, which requires approval from the Attorney General, Jackson said.__

    What do people think of that? I think it is quite relevant but I don't have enough legal knowledge to go around shooting my mouth off.

    Graeme's first post covers that. If they wanted to have the option of bringing charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, they had to say on the warrant that they were searching for evidence for charges under that act, as well as the Arms Act. Otherwise they would be seen to be on a fishing expedition.

    So I'm not sure what MJ was on about there, but he is a lawyer.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Like Stephen above I'd love to hear something on how these people get immediate bail but the so-called 'Terror' suspects don't.

    Because the judges heard police evidence, still suppressed, that dissuaded them from granting a request for bail. In Jamie Lockett's case, the police presented additional evidence in their appeal against his being granted bail, which presumably convinced the High Court judge.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Paul Wood,

    Terrorism - noun, The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

    If the cap fits. Interesting how some people are getting their panties in an uproar about the way the term in being used - terrorism is hadly a lifestyle choice, nore is it exclusively reserved for people of Middle-Eastern descent. There seems to be this hinted-at rhetoric coming out of parts of Maoridom that suggests the word can't be used of anyone of Maori descent because they are indigenous.

    Christchurch • Since Jan 2007 • 175 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Graeme's first post covers that. If they wanted to have the option of bringing charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, they had to say on the warrant that they were searching for evidence for charges under that act, as well as the Arms Act. Otherwise they would be seen to be on a fishing expedition.

    So I'm not sure what MJ was on about there, but he is a lawyer.

    I understood that much from Graeme's post but the media has been throwing around terms like "terror accused" without clarifying that point.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I understood that much from Graeme's post but the media has been throwing around terms like "terror accused" without clarifying that point.

    Absolutely. You can't call someone a "terror accused" unless and until they've actually been accused of terrorism charges. The Herald just did anyway.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    There seems to be this hinted-at rhetoric coming out of parts of Maoridom that suggests the word can't be used of anyone of Maori descent because they are indigenous.

    Quote us something then.
    There is always debate around how the word terrorist is used, because it is a contentious term. Maybe we have some home-grown terrorists, maybe we don't. I don't think we should be throwing the term around lightly.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Actually, I understand why (or at least how) the judge decided to deny bail.

    I was more thinking of the difficulty the accused's lawyers seem to have in getting access to their clients.

    However, I do think it's unfortunate that the only opposition that's being fronted to this situation comes with some serious signal-to-noise problems. This is the single strong salient point the Indymedia et al crew have to work with right now, and yet they're largely blowing their chance at a wider hearing with a whole lot of their usual brand of over-excited paranoid hyperbole about political prisoners, police states, racist oppression, land confiscation and god knows what else.

    That's why I wasn't at the march on Saturday. Not just because I have a problem with jugglers, but because the organisers seem unable to narrow their brief down to something I can say I honestly support.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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