Murder charge dropped

Press, 18 March 1989, Page 14

Murder charge dropped

PA Napier The High Court of Napier has ordered that charges be dropped against one of the 19 men due to appear before it next month in the country’s biggest murder trial.

Moana Ropiha, aged 32, unemployed, of Wairoa, was to face two charges of murder, one of attempted murder and one of unlawful assembly in connection with a gang clash in Wairoa’s Main Street on October 8 which resulted in the deaths of

two men from gunshot wounds. Like the other 18 members or associates of the Mongrel Mob who face the same charges, Ropiha was committed for trial at a lower court hearing in December and was to have gone before the Judge and jury on April 10 for a trial expected to last up to six weeks. On Monday, Ropiha’s lawyer, applied to have the charges dropped on grounds of insufficient evidence.

In a written judgment, Mr Justice Sinclair, said

Ropiha was not seen by any of the witnesses to have been present during the incident. His Honour said the only evidence against Ropiha was contained in a statement the accused made to the police. Asked why he Lad been there, Ropiha had allegedly told police he was there for “back-up.” ; When the interviewer said: “You were there when it (the rifle) went off,” Ropiha had replied: “Which one? Their’s or our’s?” His Honour said that to

put Ropiha on trial for murder on what was “rather tenuous evidence” was stretching matters too far. He was also concerned about the unlawful assembly charge and commented: “That is a very minor charge in light of the events which happened. To leave this man for trial amongst the others on such a minor charge would amount to an injustice, and while Ropiha may consider himself lucky... it would not be right to put this man in jeopardy on that charge.”