One of three people charged with the alleged theft of West Coast greenstone has had their charge withdrawn in the Greymouth District Court. Haast woman Vicki Lee Cain, 62, had been charged with stealing pounamu to the value of $7100 between January 1, 2025, and February 9 of this year. Cain was due back in court for a case review hearing on Tuesday, but had her appearance excused. Cain’s lawyer, Stewart Sluis, said he understood police were requesting an adjournment. However, the charge was withdrawn instead. Police prosecutor Sergeant John Somerfield gave no explanation for the change in proceedings. However, Mr Sluis previously said in court it was his ‘‘strong view’’ the prosecution was ‘‘very misguided’’. Mr Sluis is also representing a Tarras couple — a 50-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman — who were charged separately following the same police operation, dubbed Operation Taniwha. They were charged after police uncovered roughly 1.8 tonnes of allegedly illegally sourced pounamu after executing co-ordinated search warrants across Central Otago and South Westland in April. At their last appearance in July, the couple, who have name suppression, applied to have their representative charges of theft of pounamu valued at $21,000 dismissed. The theft was alleged to have taken place on multiple occasions over a period of a year. Pounamu in its natural state is legally owned by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu under the 1997 Pounamu Vesting Act. While public fossicking on certain beaches is permitted, commercial-scale removal is prohibited. Mr Sluis said the significant question was if police could prove there was no right to take the stone. The couple are due to appear again on October 15, when a case for final name suppression is also to be heard. Mr Sluis said previously, ‘‘given the weakness of the case’’, publication would likely create a real risk of prejudice to their family.
