Monday, March 25, 2013

Tamihere in court over $500,000 debt


Former Labour MP and RadioLIVE host John Tamihere is being taken to court over an alleged $500,000 debt to a company now in liquidation.
West Harbour Holdings Ltd is suing Mr Tamihere for the money which was loaned to him in 2008 to buy a house in Te Atatu South.
The company’s lawyer David Smyth said Mr Tamihere disputed the figure claiming he owed $290,000.
Mr Tamihere made a personal loan of $210,000 to West Harbour Holdings' sole director Brent Ivil in 2007.  
Mr Smyth said Mr Tamihere subtracted the debt owed to him, leaving the balance of $290,000.
But Mr Ivil and the company were two different lenders, Mr Smyth said.
Mr Tamihere’s lawyer Tim Allan said there were other parties who had made claim to the money.
Mr Tamihere had $290,000 in a trust account which was ready to be paid to whoever was deemed to be entitled to it, he said.  
However Mr Smyth said there was no evidence any other party had claimed to be owed $500,000.
Mr Tamihere was not present at the Auckland High Court today when the case was heard before Justice Andrews, who reserved her decision.
West Harbour Holdings Ltd has been in liquidation since March 4 this year, according to the Companies Office website.
3 News
By Simon Wong
Online Reporter
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Pair arrested in Auckland drug bust

Auckland police have arrested two people for importing and possessing methamphetamine for supply.
A 23-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman appeared in the Manukau District Court today on the charges.
Auckland City Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said the pair was arrested in central Auckland early this morning as part of an Organised and Financial Crime Agency (OFCANZ) and Customs operation.
The investigation began on Friday when a kilogram of methamphetamine was found concealed in a 25-year-old man’s suitcase.
The man arrived in New Zealand on a flight from Mexico via Dubai.
3 News

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Friday, March 22, 2013

NZ Govt aims to speed up Thai visas

The New Zealand Government has expressed a willingness to speed up visa processing for Thai citizens visiting the country for business, study and pleasure.
Prime Minister John Key made the announcement at a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra this afternoon, but added this was a long-term plan.
“It’s not going to be immediate.”
Ms Shinawatra was welcomed to New Zealand on her first official visit to New Zealand.
Speaking at Government House in Auckland this afternoon, Ms Shinawatra said it was important to speed up the visa process because of growing numbers of Thai students choosing to study in New Zealand.
Mr Key said up to 3000 Thai students travel to New Zealand to study at secondary and tertiary levels each year.
The two governments also signed agreements to work closer on education, science, technology and innovation.
Both prime ministers also committed to doubling trade between the two countries by 2020, though Mr Key and Ms Shinawatra were hopeful the target could be reached earlier.
Ms Shinawatra will return to Thailand on Sunday.
3 News

By Simon Wong
Online Reporter

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra inspects the Royal New Zealand Navy band at Government House, in Auckland, on her first official trip to New Zealand. (Photo: Simon Wong/3 News)

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

$50k reward in Jane Furlong case

Auckland police have gone back to where 17-year-old Jane Furlong went missing two decades ago in the search for information leading to her killer.
A billboard was erected on Karangahape Rd in Auckland this afternoon offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to a conviction for the death.
The teenage mother and prostitute was last seen on K Rd on May 26, 1983.
Her skeletal remains were found in sand dunes at Sunset Beach in Port Waikato in May last year.
Det Insp Mark Benefield said police were stumping up the cash which they hoped would entice someone to come forward with more information.
"We know there are people who know what happened to Jane after she was reportedly last seen on May 26, 1993 and those people owe it to themselves, Jane's memory, her family and friends to tell us what they know," he said.
Eighteen police officers were working on the case and had spoken to “hundreds” of people in relation to the murder.

Police had significant people of interest in the case.
But some who were cooperating with police before the body was discovered were now keeping silent, he said.
One of those people is Ms Furlong’s then-partner Danny Norsworthy, he said.
The search for information had led police around the world including Europe, America, Australia and throughout New Zealand. 
At the time of Miss Furlong's disappearance, she was due to testify as a prosecution witness in two cases – one involving gang members accused of assault and the other a businessman charged with attacking sex workers.
The billboard will remain at the intersection of K Rd and Ponsonby Rd for six weeks.
Anyone with information about the case should call  0800 675 263  or email furlong@police.govt.nz
Anonymous informants can call Crimestoppers on  0800 555 111 
3 News

By Simon Wong
Online Reporter
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Fonterra launches light-proof bottle

Kiwi consumers will soon be holding the latest in bottle technology when pouring milk for their daily coffee.
Dairy giant Fonterra this morning announced a new triple-layer light-proof bottle, which they say will keep milk tasting fresh throughout its shelf-life.
Fonterra Brands managing director Peter McClure went so far as to call the technology, which will be in stores from April 8, a "game changer".
The opaque plastic bottle has a black layer in between two white layers to keep light entering and breaking down nutrients which alters the taste of the milk.
Fonterra says light begins to damage vitamin B2 in milk which releases free radicals and go on to react with other proteins.
When left in sunlight consumers can taste the difference light makes in six minutes while under fluorescent light it takes about two hours.
Fonterra group marketing manager Craig Irwin said he does not expect the price for Anchor milk to increase.
The new bottle will only be rolled out for the company's premium Anchor brand, but there was nothing stopping other brands from using the same technology, he said. 
The new bottle is the same shape and weight as the current design. It will also be recyclable.
Mr McClure said the product was part of the company's vision to get kiwis drinking more milk.
While New Zealand was the world’s biggest producer of dairy products, "it doesn't seem right that New Zealanders are drinking less milk per capita", he said.
He hoped because the milk would taste better for longer it would encourage more people to drink milk.
3 News

By Simon Wong
Online Reporter
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Novopay plan not enough – NZEI

By Simon Wong
Online Reporter
The New Zealand Educational Institute vice president has slammed the Government’s Novopay compensation plan.
Union vice president Frances Guy said while the compensation went some way to helping schools it did nothing for individual teachers who had been underpaid, not paid or chased by debt collectors.
The Government earlier today announced a $6 million package which will give each school $500, plus $105 per fulltime teaching equivalent staff member, in recognition of the additional work school staff have put in to fix pay blunders up until June.
Ms Guy, who was speaking at a union meeting in Auckland today, said the plan was not enough.
"It doesn’t fix the problem with Novopay," she said.
When asked if Novopay should be dropped as the payroll provider and substituted for a Datacom interim replacement system she said the most important thing was the system was fault-free.
"What we want to know is that whatever system is put in place will work."
More than 1700 union members from around Auckland met at the Logan Campbell Centre this afternoon, one of three meetings held around the city today.
The vast majority of those at the meeting raised their hands when asked whether they had been affected by Novopay problems.
The members were also near-unanimous in their vote of no confidence in education minister Hekia Parata and the Government’s education policies.
3 News

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

New Job

New posts to come. The start of a new career
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