Details of man charged over alleged Rotorua bank kidnappings to be kept secret

Rotorua Courthouse. Photo / NZME

A man facing kidnapping charges over a Rotorua bank incident on Thursday has appeared in the Rotorua District Court.

The man, who has been granted interim name and details suppression, appeared before a Community Magistrate this morning.

He did not enter pleas to seven kidnapping charges and a charge of threatening to kill and do grievous bodily harm.

His lawyer, Moana Dorset, sought suppression of all details including the charges given it was early stages and she had no instructions from the man or disclosure from police.

However, the media objected to charges being kept out of the public eye given police had already released those details and there was public interest in the case.

The Community Magistrate allowed the charges to be published but has agreed to name and personal details being suppressed on an interim basis until his next appearance on December 2.

He was remanded in custody until that date.

He was charged following an incident at the BNZ bank in Rotorua Central just after 4pm yesterday that saw several shops and businesses put into lockdown while armed police dealt with the incident.