The retrial of a man accused of the murder of a Far North man more than 11 years ago was to start in the Whangarei District Court today.
Godfrey Jonassen Sadaraka, 62, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ken Forbes, 49, at Waiotemarama, near Opononi, on or about May
5, 1993.
Yesterday a seven-woman, five-man jury was empaneled for the trial but was excused by Justice Venning for the day while legal arguments were heard.
Sadaraka was convicted of Mr Forbes' murder in a jury trial in Whangarei 1994 but has proclaimed his innocence ever since. Earlier this year he was granted a retrial on the charge. Yesterday Justice Venning told the jurors retrials were ordered for a number of reasons and whatever the reasons were in this case they were irrelevant now.
