Kidnap accused admits SIM card cover-up

Jen Jay Law faces a charge of kidnapping at the High Court in Auckland. Photo / NZ Herald

A Hamilton man alleged to have participated in the kidnapping an Auckland body builder admitted in a police interview he had tried to keep his identity secret by purchasing a new phone SIM card before he arranged a meeting with the alleged victim at a South Auckland Burger King.

The Crown alleges Marven Yacoub was lured to the Burger King in the belief Jen Jay Law would be there to sell him steroids. Mr Yacoub was instead met by Junior Iolimo Paea and two unknown associates. He was then taken to a lawyers' office in Ponsonby against his will to swear a false statement to be used in a bail hearing for Law's friend Khalid Slaimankhel.

Law, Slaimankhel and Paea face a charge of kidnapping at the High Court in Auckland. Slaimankhel and Paea also face a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Law initially denied owning a Samsung phone that sent text messages to Mr Yacoub arranging the Burger King meeting. However after the phone was discovered at his house in Hamilton during a police search Law admitted he had purchased a new 2Degrees SIM card for the phone and sent the messages.

"I should have told you the truth from the beginning," Law told detective Bryan Laumatia during a recorded interview, which was played for a jury on Friday.

Law said he met with Slaimankhel shortly after Slaimankhel had been released from prison. Slaimankhel told him Mr Yacoub had "snitched". Shortly after that meeting Law met with two Pacific Island or Maori men who asked him to arrange a meeting with Mr Yacoub.

"As long as you don't hurt him and he is going to be okay then I'll help you guys out," Law said he told the men during an interview at Hamilton Police Station.

On the day of the alleged kidnapping Law sent Mr Yacoub text messages pretending to be in Auckland when he was in fact at home in Hamilton.

In the last of those messages Law pretended to be inside the toilet of the Burger King.

"Inside brother where you. Was taking a dump. Phone gonna die G," the text reads.

Mr Yacoub then entered the Burger King.

Law said in the police interview the men had just wanted to talk to Mr Yacoub and convince him to tell the truth to police about pills that had been found in the boot of Slaimankhel's car.

"I didn't know it was going to go to the extent of kidnapping him, I didn't know it was going to go to that," he told detective Laumatia.

"It was a mistake doing it. Look where I am now."

The trial before Justice Christian Whata continues next week.