$30k still missing after robber's guilty plea

A man who fled with over $70,000 in the armed robbery of a New Plymouth bank has pleaded guilty, but nearly $30,000 remains missing.

In New Plymouth District Court yesterday, 33-year-old Mardi Rehu-Tei Maru admitted charges of aggravated robbery and money laundering over the December 19 robbery.

He held up TSB's Fitzroy branch and ended up stashing over $30,000 of it at his sister's Auckland home, the Taranaki Daily News reported. It was later found there in plastic bags. Another $10,500 was spent on a car and his ex-partner, while an associate was paid $500 to drive Maru home to Auckland soon after the robbery.

Maru's plea came during a depositions hearing following the withdrawal of money laundering charges against his sister, Moina Maru. Detective Sergeant Greg Gray had little hope of the remainder of the money being found. "Who knows where it is?" he said. "It could be he has put it away for a rainy day."

Mr Gray, who headed the robbery case, said it soon became clear the culprit was an out-of-towner, as the local criminal fraternity appeared to be in the dark over it.

"Usually when you have a robbery of that size word gets around pretty quick," he said.

Maru was remanded in custody and is due for sentence on June 5.

-NZPA