Former Te Runanga-a-iwi o Ngāpuhi Chair Raniera "Sonny" Tau pleads not guilty to sex charge

Former Te Runanga-a-iwi o Ngāpuhi leader Raniera (Sonny) Tau has pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting a female.

The prominent Northlander charged with an alleged sex charge against a woman can now be named.

Former Te Runanga-a-iwi o Ngāpuhi leader Raniera "Sonny" Tau, 68, has been charged with indecently assaulting a female aged over 16 and the case was called in the Whangārei District Court today.

Tau, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, initially had interim name suppression, but that has now lapsed.

Tau's appearance was excused when his case was called before Judge Deidre Orchard today and the case will be back before the court on December 12.

He is on bail and the incident is alleged to have occurred about four years ago.

Tau, was chairman of Te Runanga-a-iwi o Ngāpuhi from 2009 until his resignation in October 2019.