A Napier man charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to an alleged shooting incident in Pourerere has pleaded not guilty.
The man, who has interim name suppression, was arrested and charged following an incident involving a firearm and the now-deceased Mongrel Mob member Nevara Raheke at an address on Long Range Rd, Pourerere, on November 17 last year.
Raheke, 47, died two weeks after arriving at the Hawke's Bay Hospital with critical injuries that same November day.
The appearance of the Napier man charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the Hastings District Court was yesterday excused by Judge Tony Adeane.
The 40-year-old entered a not guilty plea through his defence lawyer, Jonathan Krebs, and was remanded on bail to next appear on March 22.
A 46-year-old man, whose name is also suppressed, charged with aggravated robbery in relation to the Pourerere incident was remanded without plea to next appear on February 27.
Raheke was one of four gang members who received thousands in a secret government payout over systematic beatings at the Hawke's Bay Prison in the 1990s.
After he arrived at hospital on November 17, police and the Armed Offenders Squad descended on Otane to secure a property of interest and the following Sunday forensic scientists from ESR were examining a property of interest on Long Range Rd, Pourerere.
Police had also seized a vehicle believed to be linked to a shooting incident, but would not confirm whether it was a silver sedan recovered in Hastings the same afternoon with apparent bullet holes in both sides.
Following Raheke's death a large Mongrel Mob tangi procession, facilitated by Hawke's Bay police, wove through the streets of the Hastings CBD as his body was taken from Ruahapia Marae on December 7.
The maximum penalty for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm is 14 years' imprisonment.