Black Power likely to buy back HQ

Black Power President Mark Pitman. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Black Power looks set to buy back a confiscated stronghold after the Government and Auckland City Council ruled out buying the property to keep it away from the gang.

The Herald revealed that gang members were again using the Mt Wellington headquarters seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act following a police bust of a $1.5 million cannabis business.

The two-storey building was taken from owner and Black Power NZ president Mark Pitman and sold by the Official Assignee for $245,000 after Pitman's conviction.

Police fears that the gang would return if the property was not demolished have now been realised. The new owner is not an associate of the gang and asked to not be named, but would not comment. It is understood he is likely to sell the headquarters back to Black Power unless the Government or council intervene.

A spokeswoman for Justice Minister Simon Power said the Government was not considering buying the gang pad at 25 Jolson Rd. And a spokesman for Auckland City Council said the property would not be bought.

The confiscation of the Black Power pad was hailed as significant by police late last year, as Parliament pushed through the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill. The new law gives police even more powers to seize assets purchased with the profits of crime. But the return of senior patched members to the property and the likely sale to Black Power hierarchy made a mockery of the law, said a police source.

Pitman fought for three years against the forfeiture of the house until a judge ruled in the Crown's favour late last year. He later asked to buy the house himself, which the Crown opposed, so it was sold by tender in January for $245,000 - less than half of its $540,000 rateable value.

Official Assignee criminal proceeds manager Guy Sayers said demolition of forfeited assets was not an option unless the property could not be sold or there was a health or safety risk.

But Herald inquiries found much of the property needs to be demolished to comply with the District Plan.

The significant breaches were ignored by the council for years because of safety concerns for staff, according to a letter sent by senior manager Mark Vinall.

But the council was quick to threaten $750-a-day fines on the new owner. As a residential-zoned property, the owners are allowed 35 per cent building coverage - it is 75 per cent.

The property should have 40 per cent grassed or landscaped areas, but has none.