The crown has begun its closing address in the trial of Comanchero gang leader Pasilika Naufahu, Connor Clausen and one other person with name suppression.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The trio were arrested in a police operation in 2019 that netted millions of dollars of property, cars, motorbikes and cash, and the trial has been underway for nearly four weeks.
Naufahu and Clausen deny money laundering and conspiring to supply the class B drug pseudoephedrine, while the third person denies money laundering.
Yesterday the case was abruptly pared down when two defendants had their charges largely dismissed - with the total number of charges dropping from 11 to four and the number of people on trial dropping from five to three.
Crown prosecutor David Johnstone said the case was going to be "dense and difficult" for jurors to piece together.
"Out of quite a considerable volume of evidence there's going to be large parts of it that have very little do with the charges that are left for you to determine," he said.
However he urged the jury to remain focused on the evidence, rather than become prejudiced against particular defendants who have associations jurors "might not find palatable."
In his closing address, Johnstone summarised evidence about the person with name suppression visiting banks around Auckland, and depositing large sums of cash.
He implored the jury to consider if it was reasonable that the person might not have known where such large sums of money was coming from, or have any concerns.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Mr Johnstone revisited Naufahu's financial records and employment history, questioning if it justified a ute he purchased in 2013.
He also replayed a video that allegedly showed Clausen attempting a roadside $1 million pseudoephedrine deal in Takanini - something he referred to as "remarkable" evidence.
"It's not often the police capture, on video, a drug deal that came so close to being completed," he said.
He told the jury other evidence showed who was really behind that drug deal, communicating with Clausen via an encrupted cypher phone.
"I'm going to suggest to you that there are in fact six main areas of the evidence that you can rely on, to come to the view, that Mr Clausen's bro - the person he's taking instruction from - was in fact Mr Naufahu. These points, these areas of the evidence move from the general to the specific."
The defence was expected to deliver its closing address this afternoon.
The jury has been told it is likely to be considering its verdicts by early next week.