27 May 2012

Police not aware of any continuing Te Urewera risk

12:19 pm on 27 May 2012

Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says he is not aware of any current risk in Te Urewera National Park but refuses to say whether police are continuing to monitor the group arrested following the 2007 police raids.

Tame Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara have each been sentenced to two years and six months for having firearms and Molotov cocktails at military-style training camps in Te Urewera National Park in 2007.

Their co-accused, Urs Signer and Emily Bailey, have been sentenced informally to nine months, but the judge has adjourned their case to assess whether that term can be served at home.

Mr Marshall told TVNZ's Q+A programme on Sunday that he was not aware of a threat in Te Urewera but would not say whether the members of the group were still under scrutiny.

"I'm not going to go into any operational matter involving that group or any other group. Suffice to say that we have no particular information about the Ureweras. We believe that group was disbanded. They've been exposed for what they are."

Mr Marshall says some senior iwi representatives have thanked the police for their actions and did not believe the police had overreacted.