Pasilika Naufahu, Comanchero MC president, pictured during the first day of his trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Pasilika Naufahu, Comanchero MC president, pictured during the first day of his trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The president of the NZ chapter of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club, a media personality and three others are on trial denying a slew of serious offending that includes money laundering.
Gang head Pasilika Naufahu and others were arrested last year in a high-profile police raid that followed a covert investigation dubbed Operation Nova.
Crown prosecutor David Johnstone said Naufahu had arrived in the country from Australia in early 2016.
From that point he went about establishing his chapter, appointing associates of his to official roles like vice-president and secretary – "that sort of thing".
Naufahu, his fellow Comancheros, their partners and families then commenced a lifestyle of enjoying the material benefits that flowed from a whole series of criminal offences, he said.
That $1.3m home was bought under the name of Naufahu's 7-year-old son as the purchaser, he said.
"Another thing the success of the group brought with it was a problem.
"The problem of course was how to hide the crimes that were generating all this money."
A lot of pretending went on to conceal the true source of the money, and the group used a range of tactics to pretend the source of the money was legitimate, he said.
Some people connected to the case had gone to lengths to try stop the police intercepting their communications, the court heard.
"This case is full of secrets and pretending," Johnstone said.
The court heard lawyer Andrew Simpson was used to set up trusts for Naufahu and others.
As money was split from the lawyer's account into these trusts it would end up "mixed up" and "churned around" in a bid to gain the appearance of legitimacy, Johnstone said.
The Crown prosecutor is expected to continue his opening address tomorrow morning.
Naufahu faces charges of conspiracy to import a Class A drug and conspiring to supply a Class B drug, as well as three charges of money laundering.
The charges of money laundering relate to the purchase of a Ford Ranger, Bentley and a Jacon SG3 Trailer concrete pump, which together add up to more than $212,700.
Wiwini Himi Hakaraia pictured during the first day of his trial in the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Wiwini Himi Hakaraia, an accountant, faces a charge of participating in an organised criminal group, two charges of possession of a class A drug for supply and three charges of money laundering.
Connor Clausen is charged with conspiring to supply the Class B drug pseudoephedrine.
Connor Clausen during the first day of his trial at the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A media personality, who has name suppression, faces a charge of participating in an organised criminal group and two charges of money laundering.
The money laundering charges relate to the purchase of two concrete pumps totalling $439,700.
The last defendant, who also has name suppression, faces one charge of money laundering by depositing more than $292,000 in cash into various bank accounts.
