Bank robbery accused blamed PM

Two men held up the ASB in Three Kings. Photo / Supplied

A man accused of robbing a suburban bank, armed with a pistol, on Friday shouted "This is John Key's fault" during the raid, say police.

Two men appeared before Auckland District Court yesterday charged with stealing $12,000 from the Blockhouse Bay branch of the Westpac bank.

The incident happened the day police and bank representatives met in central Auckland to discuss ways to prevent such incidents and the day after another violent raid 6km away.

Fijian-born Epinisa Rokobatini, 31, and a 29-year-old British-born co-offender, who has name suppression, burst into the bank about 2.40pm, knocking over a customer who was leaving, according to the police summary of facts.

Police allege Rokobatini guarded the door with a pistol while his accomplice raided the tills.

The pair had clothing covering their faces and the 29-year-old allegedly said to a male and female teller "It's all right ladies, just move back" as he took the cash.

As he grabbed the cash he found a key in one of the teller's drawers and tried to open another till. The police summary of facts states Rokobatini then yelled "This is all John Key's fault".

The pair drove off in a Subaru Forester that had been reported stolen. A 21-year-old woman allegedly picked them up and has also been charged in relation to the robbery.

At about 9am on Thursday, two men held up the ASB in Three Kings Plaza after threatening a security guard.

While one forced customers to the ground at gunpoint, the other jemmied open tellers' tills with a crowbar. They left in a stolen Mitsubishi station wagon.

No one from police was available to say if the incidents were linked.

There were 88 bank robberies last year, 30 more than in 2008. BNZ national security and fraud manager Owen Loeffellechner said 90 per cent did not involve weapons, although that may be changing.

"The number of robberies in 2010 so far is slightly below the same time last year but there has been a significant rise in the use of weapons," he said.

"We're concerned about where this could lead. It's the frequency that concerns me ... why do they need that money?"

Loeffellechner said it was also worrying the increase in bank robberies meant some branches were hit repeatedly.

He said such incidents were "traumatic" for staff and repeat raids revived the emotions from the first.

"This may be seen as a victimless crime against a company, but the crime is against the teller and the customer. It's hard on them."

Loeffellechner said representatives from banks, cash carrying companies and police met on Friday to "maximise their partnership" and form a strategy to cope with the increase in use of weapons.

Westpac retail general manager Bruce McLachlan said he was relieved police had made arrests.

- additional reporting: Anna Rushworth