Terror links denied in pilot case

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

An Auckland man accused of passing himself off as a Saudi Arabian citizen to sit pilot's examinations for someone else has denied any terrorist links.

"I was just doing a favour for a friend," said Kevin Anthony Lenaghan, 27, outside the Tauranga District Court.

He pleaded not guilty at a registrar's hearing yesterday to five counts of personation and elected trial by jury. Personation, a rarely used charge laid under the Crimes Act, carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.

Lenaghan, who was arrested a month ago by Auckland detectives at Tauranga Airport after an exam, is accused of impersonating Naif Hussein Al-Anazy with intent to fraudulently obtain pilot qualifications.

Suppression orders imposed at his first court appearance were lifted yesterday.

Mr Al-Anazy had been in New Zealand for about a year and had returned to Saudi Arabia before the alleged offences.

"He is no terrorist. He is a friend of mine and I felt sorry for him," Lenaghan said.

The pair had met at the Ardmore flying school and Mr Al-Anazy had been struggling with the theory examinations.

Lenaghan said he had sat test papers in Tauranga because he regularly visited friends there. He was remanded on bail until September 25.