A Napier man charged with blackmail after a number of New Zealand companies received threats in July has been granted bail.
The 55-year-old man who appeared before Judge Geoff Rea at Napier District Court facing seven counts of blackmail was also granted interim name suppression until his next court appearance at the end of the month.
The names and nature of the businesses allegedly blackmailed were also suppressed on what crown prosecutor Steve Manning called a "short term" suppression.
Judge Rea granted the bail after the man's lawyer Eric Forster said his client's health needed to be a priority and his client had not shown any intention on acting on the threats he had made.
Detective Inspector Chris Cahill of Auckland City CIB said the investigation into the threats made had been ongoing since July.