Body at foot of hotel tower not suspicious say officers

Police say the death of a man found near Auckland's Ascott Metropolis Hotel was not suspicious.

An autopsy found that Che Nan Tung, 22, of Christchurch died of injuries received in a fall from a height.

His body was spotted by a hotel cleaner on January 27 - more than a week after his death - in bushes above Freyberg Place, off High St.

A walkway, which had been closed for maintenance, runs between the base of the hotel and the area where Mr Tung's body was lying.

Detective Senior Sergeant Julian Rinckes said Mr Tung arrived in Auckland to visit a friend around January 17 and was last seen the following evening on the corner of Victoria and Nelson Sts.

He was at the hotel visiting "friends of his friend" who have told police they did not witness the fall.

Mr Rinckes said police had investigated all possible scenarios around Mr Tung's death and did not believe it was suspicious. The coroner would rule on the circumstances of the death.

"However, if new information comes to hand that challenges that belief, we would investigate further."

Mr Rinckes said Mr Tung was not reported missing "so we had to meticulously trace his movements in the city as best we could".

Police did not know the exact date of death but believed he had died "a week or so" before his body was found.

Mr Tung arrived from Taiwan in 1993 with his mother, grandparents and brother. He was granted residency in 1996 and held a New Zealand passport.

Mr Rinckes said police had received unconfirmed reports that he worked for a commercial fishing company at some stage, but at the time of his death he was unemployed.