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Maori MPs criticise Urewera judge

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Maori MPs criticise Urewera judge

3News NZ

Hone Harawira

Hone Harawira

Maori MPs are condemning the judge who handed down jail sentences on Tuhoe activists.

Justice Rodney Hansen on Thursday jailed Tame Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara to two and a half years on firearms charges connected with alleged military-style camps in the Ureweras.

A jury was previously unable to reach a verdict on charges of participating in an organised criminal group.

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira says the sentences were "bloody ridiculous".

"The judge simply picked the worst bits out of 67,000 pages of evidence to justify the most extreme interpretation of events," he said.

"It's a waste of time having a jury trial if the judge can retry the case at sentencing ... by vindicating the actions of the police the state has made political prisoners out of them both."

Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell, whose electorate covers the Ureweras, says the sentences shocked him.

"This was never just about the charges or the offences," he said.

"This was about Tuhoe and the mess caused in the lead-up to this sentencing."

Mr Flavell says the harsh sentence was intended to cover up the botched case.

Lawyers for the two men were on Friday preparing to file papers appealing conviction and sentence.

NZN

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Comments

27/05/2012 4:34:36 p.m.

Paora wrote:

Sadly 'Judge Judy' has entered the discussion adding her own brand of distortion to muddy the points already made. Her historical references have little to no relevance to the case in hand and cannot possibly justify Tama Iti breaking NZ gun ownership laws, which is why he has been sentenced to a term in jail and justifiably so. If he does the crime, he must learn to do the time. No ifs, no buts. No excuses.

27/05/2012 2:05:26 p.m.

Judy wrote:

I have absolutely no time for Hone Harawira but in this case I agree with him absolutely. By his stupid and provocative sentencing, Judge Rodney Hansen has turned Tama Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara into race-based political prisoners. Worst of all, this has happened after the jury couldn't agree on the organised crime charges. If Judge Hansen really believes these two are terrorists (when what they were probably doing was taking the Mickey out of the police who had them unjustifiably under surveillance)I'd think putting them into our prison system, filled, as it is with disaffected young Maori men, would be the single worst thing he could have done. Has our justice system learnt nothing from its past provocative acts? I well remember when,back in the 60s, a District Court Judge provoked the foundation of the Mongrel Mob when he referred to a group of defendants in his court as "nothing but a pack of mongrels". I remember some other beauties, too. Bastion Point, the policing of the anti-Springbok protests, the over zealous police pressure which caused the Queen Street riot, Tim Shadbolt being arrested for giving away jelly beans and dozens more. In this case, the condescending remarks of the Police TV spokesman won't help, coming, as they do, while the remarkable case of Kim Dot.Com and his unbelievable treatment by the Police and Crown Law continue to unfold in Auckland. Hopefully, on appeal, Tama Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara's sentences will be reduced to something sensible and non-custodial. As for all you idiots seeing terrorists behind every bit of manuka, get a life. The real terrorists are in Wellington.

27/05/2012 10:49:27 a.m.

Anaru wrote:

Paora. Very true. Yes, it is time for more Maori to accept Tohoe are a rebellious lot best exampled by Tame Iti in particular, who need to be shown how to fit in with the modern world because things have changed for the better in the last 200 years and they need to catch up. While Tami Iti fully deserves the jail sentence for his actions, he only has himself to blame. But unfortunately I don't believe he will learn anything from it..... Tame Iti and his supporters need to get over their hatred of anything non-Maori and together with others like the Haraweras, who follow a similar path, need to look no further than a mirror to see what is causing the racial problems in this country. Separatism is not the way for a harmonious future and not good for New Zealand as a whole.

27/05/2012 12:24:57 a.m.

jan.. wrote:

The Tuhoe native activities are nothing like Osama Bin Laden but to ajust and understand that the Aotearoa New Zealand is a mix race, The Tuhoe people should not be imprisonment but given the chance to redirect themselves to civilisation and let them understand what right from wrong is what the Tuhoe needs and not prison..rethink, and consider the natives of the land..

26/05/2012 11:23:53 p.m.

Jonathan Rountree wrote:

Why doesn't the governor general sack the prime minister like they did in Aussie? The Queen has apologised to Maori for the injustices inflicted upon them in the past or are these just hollow words too like the rest of this country is becoming? Surely there's still some decent people living here or is apathy rife? Please wake up kiwi's we cannot afford to be stealthy nocturnals anymore.

26/05/2012 1:40:16 p.m.

Thomas wrote:

MOERA,No one botched up on this one apart from the activists themselves, the police got it right & the prosecution got it right before the inevitable outcome if action by the police had not been taken when at the right time, so go take another joint MO'Y & sleep of your illogical comments.

26/05/2012 11:09:42 a.m.

Paora wrote:

'Ngapere' E whakahe ana ahau ki tau. Penei na tana whanonga i te porangi.

26/05/2012 10:47:11 a.m.

Moera wrote:

Harawira and Flavell are correct. This is a gross misconduct on the Judge part. The people within the judicial system should actually follow the same laws they enforce. These two men were jailed so the 'pakeha' involved in this debacle could 'save face' after they botched up

26/05/2012 9:33:50 a.m.

ngapera wrote:

i feel sorry for them bloody pakehas lock them away cause they had to prove a point use them cause the botched everything up meaning invading tuhoe like ninjas in the early morning what the hell stand up tuhoe right with yous from a ngapuhi

26/05/2012 1:27:03 a.m.

the DR wrote:

so the biggest recast in new Zealand has a problem with two of his brothers being put behind bars for having no respect for new Zealand law. lets all run a muck with elegal weapons do we need to remind him thers only one set of laws for all of new Zealand. so whot is the problem wall the problem is the judge should have given tama iti one more year to lorn some respect for the laws of new zealand thats whot happens when you disrespect a judge in the non pc world that is. and if you dont like the rules piss off to some other place and see how your crap gos down there