The bail application for murder accused Nai Yin Xue has been adjourned until February 3 next year.
Xue, 55, is accused of murdering his wife, An An Liu, in September last year, before fleeing to Australia and dumping his 3-year-old daughter at a Melbourne railway station.
He was
arrested in the United States and extradited after an international police alert was put out for him and is due to face trial next year.
On Monday, Xue's lawyer Chris Comeskey told the High Court at Auckland that Xue could be forced to represent himself unless he was given bail, as he had not received legal aid and had no money to pay his legal fees.
The hearing was adjourned until this morning to allow the Crown prosecutor to read the correspondence on the legal aid situation.
The Crown has revealed evidence that Xue had money wired to him - US$6700 - before leaving New Zealand and questioned where the money came from and whether there was more.
Mr Comeskey today said Xue's bail application would be abandoned if funding from legal services came through.
Outside court he said his client was "as kiwi as John Key" and that he had a right to legal aid.
Mr Comeskey said his chambers had been racking up charges and legal aid services were dragging their feet.
"This was a serious bail attempt to get him out working so he could fund his defence. There are pre-trial application to be heard on the second and third of February next year, that's only weeks away.
These pre-trials take an awful lot of preparation. A man can't be expected to sit up in the prison without funding to ensure they are not completed for him," Mr Comeskey said.
He said his client had received an offer of work but when asked if that would be in Xue's profession of journalism, Mr Comeskey said it was not.
Xue was remanded in custody.
