KEY POINTS:
Two men surrendered to Wanganui police yesterday and were arrested on charges connected to events leading up to the drive-by shooting of 2-year-old Jhia Harmony Te Tua on Saturday.
The men appeared in Wanganui District Court yesterday and were remanded in custody.
Jhia was shot dead as she slept in a house in Puriri St in suburban Gonville.
The drive-by shooting has been linked to rivalry between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs.
The dead child's father was a member of Black Power.
Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Bensemann again criticised the level of co-operation from the Wanganui Mongrel Mob.
"My staff are still continuing to use up precious time trying to locate Mongrel Mob members and associates who I am sure will know that we wish to speak to them in relation to this inquiry," he said.
"They are in effect playing hard to get."
The two men arrested presented themselves at Wanganui police station accompanied by their lawyers.
Almost all details of the pair and their court appearance were suppressed.
Yesterday's arrests bring to four the number of men facing charges relating to incidents on the day of the shooting.
On Tuesday, two men, aged 31 and 19, appeared in court facing charges of unlawful assembly, while the younger also faced charges of possession of an offensive weapon (namely a bottle), assault, unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime and taking part in a riot.
Both men were granted interim name suppression and were remanded in custody until May 15.
Police said they were a patched Mongrel Mob member and a gang prospect.
Wanganui area commander Inspector Duncan MacLeod said the investigation was complex and the inquiry team was making steady progress towards a successful conclusion.
He would not be drawn on specifics and priorities of the murder investigation and said that to give details of the inquiry would be counter-productive and might hinder progress.
Mr Bensemann said police had found another vehicle used by the Wanganui Mongrel Mob that he believes was involved in the events of Saturday night.
- NZPA
