Man the Mongrel Mob have it sweet
Stuff reports:
A judge has questioned the value of a controversial Mongrel Mob-led meth rehab programme, when the gang is responsible for most local meth offending, and it’s not approved by Corrections.
Judge Russell Collins made the remarks when sentencing Mob member Damian Tipu, 28, in Napier District Court on Thursday.
Tipu had sought a discount to his sentence for meth dealing and other offences because he had attended the Kahukura programme run by Mongrel Mob life member Harry Tam’s company H2R Research and Consulting Ltd.
The programme has received $2.75million from the government’s Proceeds of Crime fund, prompting outrage from the Police Association and senior local police officers.
Thanks to the PM, the Mongrel Mob have it so sweet. Here’s how it works.
- The Mob imports and sells meth all over Hawke’s Bay
- The PM gives them $2.75 million to rehabilitate their own members and customers from the drugs they sell
- The Mob members who get caught, go on the Mob run course, and then use that to seek a discount from the Judge for their drug dealing!!
I mean seriously, this is genius from the Mob. The only problem is this judge is less gullible than the PM:
Collins said Tipu’s pre-sentence report noted he had attended the course, but he questioned how much weight he could give it.
“When someone like Sonny Smith is a critical component to the programme… How do I put aside that ‘institutional knowledge’ and come to the conclusion that Mr Smith, as a president in the Mongrel Mob, is able to rehabilitate those afflicted with methamphetamine addiction?” Collins asked Tipu’s lawyer Matt Dixon.
“Every day we see in this court methamphetamine charges and there is one entity which dominates over anyone else as being behind the methamphetamine trade in Hawke’s Bay, and that’s the Mongrel Mob,” the judge said.
Exactly.
Dixon said Tipu had clearly benefited from the course because he had returned negative drug tests while attending it.
The tests were carried out internally. Just one of Tipu’s test results was shared with his probation officer.
“Self-reporting drug-testing?” the judge said.
He said there was no evidence of the training or qualifications of those running the programme, and it was not a programme approved by Corrections.
Note that the tests are done internally, so any claims that participants are now drug free should be treated with extreme skepticism. No doubt they will claim this though when they ask taxpayers for even more money.