The Herald on Sunday reported Platt believed they were looking for Pacific Islands' native Agathis silbae. He insists the tree, which is a prohibited import as it wasn't in the country before a 1997 ban was enforced, is actually the Agathis macrophylla, a Kiwi stalwart since early European settlement.
The Agathis silbae was discovered by John Silba in Vanuatu, though Platt claims it is an Agathis macrophylla - known as the Pacific kauri, from Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands and widely planted in New Zealand for more than 150 years.
Platt blames the confusion on "idiot New Yorker" Silba, who Platt says mistakenly thought he had discovered a new kauri species.
Now, Platt will have his day in court.
Late last month, he was charged under the Biosecurity Act of possession or control of unauthorised goods, and failing to tell the ministry about an organism not normally seen or detected in New Zealand.
A third charge, of knowingly, recklessly or negligently possessing an imported new organism, was laid under the Hazardous Substance and New Organism Act.
If convicted of possession or control of unauthorised goods - Platt faces up to five years in jail and a fine of $100,000.
The father and grandfather indicated this week he would defend the charges. He will appear in Manukau District Court on July 3.
Ministry north region investigations manager David Blake said charges had been laid against two people in relation to Operation Silbae, but would not comment further.
The Auckland Botanic Gardens and the homes of the gardens' curator, Jack Hobbs, were raided simultaneously with Platt's property, but Hobbs said this week he had not been charged. A third person raided by the ministry as part of the investigation, Clive Higgie of Paloma Gardens in Wanganui, confirmed in April he had been charged with possessing a prohibited Australian fig tree.
