TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 • WORST MARKET CRASHES SINCE 1987 CORONAVIRUS • EU CONDEMNS TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN PAGES 7, 11, 13-15, 28 • NZ BORDER RESTRICTIONS TO BE FURTHER TIGHTENED • CANADIAN PM AND WIFE SELF-ISOLATE • IRAN ASKS FOR US$5B LOAN TO FIGHT VIRUS $17 million tax fraud alleged Innocent by virtue of tikanga says accused A GISBORNE farmer accused of “tikanga”. evading tax totalling $17million, will The Maori concept of tikanga can be stand trial in the High Court later this interpreted many ways. Its definition year. includes correct procedure, custom and John Richard Bracken, 54, was the protocol. subject of a joint investigation by police Mr Helmbright, who describes himself and the Inland Revenue Department. It as a “native assessor”, is of Maori resulted in charges alleging fraudulent descent and is a cousin of Bracken’s use of documents — GST claim forms wife Margaret, who is also of Maori in which he falsely showed his business descent. running at a loss over four years up to Mr Helmbright was a witness for June, 2018. Bracken in a prosecution last year in He has pleaded not guilty and claims which Gisborne District Council alleged he is innocent by virtue of “tikanga”. Bracken committed 10 criminal offences An estimated $11 million dollars of under the Resource Management Act his assets were frozen in December, (between December, 2017 and March, 2018, due to a successful application 2018) and twice breached council- by police under the Criminal Proceeds issued abatement notices, in relation to Recovery Act. earthworks he did at his Matawai farm. Those assets included his 1680ha Bracken was found guilty of five Matawai farm (valued at about $7 of the RMA charges and one of the million), three residential properties, a breaches but not guilty of the remaining holiday home, $650,000 in bank funds, six charges. He was fined $20,000 and tractors, quad bikes, a digger, several refused a discharge without conviction. utes, including a late model Dodge Ram, Ahead of that hearing, Bracken and a 6.5-metre fishing boat. claimed he was accountable only to God At a brief case review hearing in — New Zealand’s legal system had no Gisborne District Court this week, the jurisdiction over him. HISTORY REPEATS prosecution was transferred to the High A group of his supporters attended Waikanae speedster Briana Irving powers to victory in the under-19 female Court and the case file handed from the court in T-shirts with slogans “Whanau final of the beach sprint at the national surf lifesaving championships here IRD to the Crown solicitor’s office. Tangata Whenua”, “Federal Marshall”. this morning. Two races later, Irving emulated her gold medal performance by A date for the High Court trial is Mr Helmbright produced in evidence winning the open female beach sprint as well, pipping clubmate Casey Fyall. expected to be scheduled at a further two marae-granted retrospective Irving won both titles last year, along with the u16 crown. It was a great morning case review hearing on April 22. consents but Judge Jeff Smith said the on the beach sprint track for Waikanae, with Oska Smith winning the u16 male Speaking to The Gisborne Herald RMA overrode any consents granted title, Jessie Kapene second in the u16 female final and Seven Mapu third in the outside the courtroom, Bracken and a under the Te Turi Whenua or any other u19 male final. The champs started yesterday with the masters age groups. Bay of Plenty man acting in a McKenzie Act. STORY ON BACK PAGE Picture by Paul Rickard friend type role — Peter Helmbright — said Bracken was innocent due to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 21950-04 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Classifieds ... 16-17 Racing .......... 20-22 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Literature............18 Sport ............ 27-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World............ 13-15 Television ....W9-11 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Friday, March 13, 2020 ON FIRE Flames whirl through the air as Gisborne Boys’ High School students (from left) Johnson Hauraki, Amorangi Standish and Ethan Ratapu practise their siva afi (Samoan fire dance) moves. They were part of a Pasifika performance showcase in the Boys’ High school hall last night. The fire dance boys are in a combined Boys’ High and Gisborne Girls’ High Pasifika group who were to perform in the Pasifika Festival in Auckland tomorrow. Mayor Phil Goff announced this morning that the festival had been cancelled because of concerns about coronavirus. Picture by Liam Clayton Diversity and inclusiveness MARINA Park will be awash with a rainbow of colour on Sunday for the annual run that highlights diversity and community inclusiveness The date and time of this year’s run — March 15, 1.30pm — is significant as it marks one year since the Christchurch mosque shootings. Fifty-one people died when a lone gunman opened fire on worshippers at Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, then the Linwood Islamic Centre. Tairawhiti Multicultural Council president Arish Naresh said this year’s colour run for diversity would hold two minutes of silence before the run to mark the anniversary. “Our colour run is a small way of bringing the community together and celebrating diversity and promoting multiculturalism. “We still have political leaders like Shane Jones saying things they shouldn’t. His comments may have not been thought through and have the potential to incite feelings of discrimination in certain factions of society. “I want to emphasise that intolerance of race and ethnicity doesn’t happen overnight and if we have people in power spreading the wrong COLOUR ME HAPPY: Some happy faces belonging to runners who were part of the message, it just makes it harder to promote multiculturalism.” 1200-strong crowd at last year’s colour run. If you enjoy a bit of fun, on a run, with colour The colour run is free to enter because of the many sponsors thrown in, be at the Marina Park on Sunday at 1.30pm for the annual Colour Run for Diversity. supporting it. There will also be spot prizes, and the fire service will be It is a free event promoting diversity and community inclusiveness. Picture by Liam Clayton doing their bit with a big water hose to shower participants. LOOKING AHEAD Get your FOCUS ON THE LAND Gisborne Herald • Prices and comment from today’s weekly sheep sale at the home-delivered Matawhero sale yards • Kiwifruit harvesters Zespri point to another large crop of 155 A journey of brain million trays • Organisers of the Ewe Hogget science and discovery competition put back the closing for entries TOMORROW TOMORROW The Gisborne Herald, 64 Gladstone Road, P.O. Box 1143, Gisborne • Phone (06) 869 0600 • Fax (Editorial) (06) 869 0643 (Advertising) (06) 869 0644 Editor: Jeremy Muir • Chief Reporter: Andrew Ashton • Circulation: Cara Haines • Sports: Grant Miller/John Gillies To nd out more call 869 0620 e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz The Gisborne Herald • Friday, March 13, 2020 NEWS 3 Room to move now for whanau by Sophie Rishworth AFTER living in a caravan, Lydia Edwards and her family are feeling a sense of space, and relief, as they settle HOME SWEET HOME: into their new Kainga Ora (Housing NZ) Lydia Edwards with two home. of her daughters Huriana Two weeks ago Lydia and two of her Maliukaetau (left), and daughters were on the front page of The Miriangi Maliukaetau, Herald in their caravan, which had been enjoying their new Kainga home since the start of this year. Ora home. The family found The same day their homeless plight themselves homeless and was highlighted, Kainga Ora called Lydia living in a caravan at the to say a home was available. end of last year when the “They told me to let the Herald know, rental they had been in for and my advocates know, I didn’t even three years was sold. know I had advocates.” Last week the family moved in to their Picture by Rebecca Grunwell three-bedroom home, and two of Lydia’s moko (grandchildren) can live with her too now. They were all full of smiles and thanks. “Our community is amazing. We are feeling the love, and we are so happy and Lydia was in a rental property for three and sometimes she did not get a response ■ On February 27, the Gisborne overwhelmed.” years, when it was sold last year and at all. They ended up having to live in Housing Strategy report was presented to A few weeks ago Lydia had made a she and her whanau had to move out. a caravan on another of her daughter’s Gisborne District Council by Tairawhiti- video, which she posted to facebook, Lydia thought she would find another front lawn. based organisations Manaaki Tairawhiti where she talked about her frustration at rental but found her and her whanau “It ‘s so awesome having our own and Trust Tairawhiti. the lack of housing available for people in in the middle of this region’s housing whare, I just want to give back now, I’ve It identified a housing strategy to build Gisborne. crisis. Every rental she applied for got told Kainga Ora if there is anything I can 400 new homes to fix Gisborne’s housing It was viewed more than 28,000 times. e-mails back saying it had been rented, do to help, I would love to.” and homeless crises.