A second person has appeared in court charged with inappropriate handling of human remains and obtaining more than $18,000 by deception.
The 53-year-old denied all charges and has elected trial by jury when he made his his first appearance in Auckland District Court today.
Court documents show the Auckland man faces two charges of obtaining money by deception, amounting to more than $18,000, between 2015 and 2022.
He also faces a charge of neglecting to properly seal and line a casket.
The appearance comes as police continue to investigate allegations of mishandled burials at Auckland’s Waikumete Cemetery under Operation Lola.
Police have been examining complaints after bodies were disinterred following the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023.
Undertaker Fiona Bakulich, 48, was previously arrested and pleaded guilty to 14 charges, two of interfering with human remains and 12 of obtaining by deception. She would be sentenced in April.
The man was granted interim name suppression, which includes his current occupation, so he cannot yet be identified.
He’s been remanded on bail and will reappear in court on June 4.