Man ‘on way to private function’

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 13

Man ‘on way to private function’

PA Rotorua A Rotorua man jointly charged with the aggravated robbery of the Edgecumbe ANZ bank told the police he was on his way to a private function at the time of the crime, the High Court at Rotorua was told.

Graham Toko Manahi, aged 27, and a Mangere labourer, Willy Wong Tung, have both denied armed robbery of the bank about 4.20 p.m. on February 2. They are appearing before Mr Justice Anderson and a jury. The Crown alleges the Edgecumbe bank was robbed of $7684 after the pair, heavily disguised, one armed with a sawnoff double-barrelled shotgun, burst in and rifled through the tellers’ drawers.

A third person, the getaway car driver, has already been dealt with by the courts.

Detective Phillip Jeffery told the Court Manahi had adopted such

an arrogant attitude when questioned about the incident that an in-depth interview had been impossible. However, Manahi had denied being with Tung and also denied any knowledge of the third person charged in relation to the offence. Detective Jeffery said, "I told Manahi the evidence meant he was there at the right time.” A Napier detective told the Court Tung had also strenuously denied the charge saying he had been drunk and could not remember which city he had been in for two days. The police told Tung he had been identified by a bank customer who had seen his heavily tattooed face through a hole in his balaclava as he left the bank, but Tung said the witness must have been mistaken. Manahi told the Court he had never been in the ANZ bank in Edgecumbe. (Proceeding).