KEY POINTS:
As one of the Korean amputees from a horrific bus crash in February began the process of being fitted with an artificial limb yesterday, the driver of the tour coach appeared in the Tokoroa District Court.
During the court hearing it emerged that despite the police laying a further 11 charges against 40-year-old Seong Won Lee of Auckland, he is still allowed to drive a bus for a living.
Lee was at the wheel when his company's vehicle crashed south of Tokoroa, causing horrific injuries to some of the 15 Korean passengers on board.
Until now police had laid just one charge, that of careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury.
It is believed all new charges are identical to the first, with each one representing a separate victim in the crash.
Three young women lost their right arms. Others suffered fractured bones and head and spinal injuries, and some needed skin grafts.
Suppression of the driver's identity was lifted during yesterday's hearing.
Lee's lawyer, Paul Fisher, acting on instructions from Auckland counsel Andrew Speed, told Judge Charles Blackie that his client's plea to all charges was not guilty.
It is understood more charges could follow.
During the hearing police asked the judge to impose further restrictions on Lee's bail conditions, which centred on his ability to drive a bus.
They wanted to put a stop to that until a verdict was delivered, but Judge Blackie said that would be "akin to a disqualification" and, given the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the condition was not possible.
Mr Fisher said that because of the additional charges, more time would be needed in relation to issues of "discovery" (access to documents).
June 6 was set as the date for Lee's next appearance in the Tokoroa court.
Outside court Lee declined to comment when asked if he was sorry for the hurt crash victims and their families had suffered.
He bowed his head and walked quickly from the courthouse, accompanied by an interpreter.
It is not known whether Lee is still working for the Auckland company Smile Coach, for which he was driving the bus that crashed.
It was more than 20 years old and was one of a fleet of six the firm owned.
Although a Korean diplomat expressed surprise following the crash that the bus was not fitted with seatbelts, it had been given a new Certificate of Fitness last October.
One of the crash victims, Kuy Ri Suk, 18, would offer no comment yesterday on the new charges because the case is still before the court.
However, a Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the teenager met with physiotherapists and limb specialists yesterday as she was measured up for an artificial limb.
Ms Suk, her mother and her 11-year-old brother have settled in Hamilton, where the 18-year-old intends to undertake tertiary studies at Waikato University.
Her father, Professor Sang Kee Suk, is back in Seoul, where he is continuing his career.
Professor Sang said in a statement that the tragedy had had a major impact on the family in that it had split them geographically.
Another amputee from the crash, 34-year-old Youn Hee Chang, returned to Korea last month and the third amputee, Jung-Min Hun, 18, is understood to have relocated with her family to stay with friends in Auckland.
