Green light for Comanchero ‘sergeant-at-arms’ visa cancellation, court hears
The alleged sergeant-at-arms of Canberra’s Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, Sosefo Tu’uta Katoa, faces deportation after authorities signed off on an order to cancel his visa, a court has heard.
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Authorities have approved an order to cancel the visa of the Canberra Comanchero bikie gang’s alleged sergeant-at-arms after he was charged with possessing bombs, a court heard.
Sosefo Tu’uta Katoa remains behind bars after his bail application was adjourned on Monday at ACT Magistrates Court, where he denied a charge of affray over an altercation between the Comanchero and members of the rival Nomads gang at Woden’s Southern Cross Club on January 18.
Mr Tu’uta Katoa called members of the Comanchero over to a table where four Nomads were sitting before a Nomad was punched in the nose, breaking it, according to court documents.
He also faces three fresh charges of possessing a prohibited weapon after his fingerprints were allegedly found on sticky-tape used to bind together components of an “incendiary bomb”, the court heard.
Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen opposed bail on the grounds there was a “significant prospect” of him failing to appear at court after Immigration Minister David Coleman this morning granted a “removal order” to deport him based on “character grounds”.
Upon release from jail, Australian Border Force would immediately take him into custody and place him in immigration detention while the necessary steps are taken to deport him, she said.
Ms Christensen further opposed bail based on the likelihood of him committing further offences and risks to members of the Nomads gang if he is released.
She said Mr Tu’uta Katoa, who is a New Zealand citizen, was also facing a charge of assault over an incident at The Hellenic Club.
Leading senior constable Dale Ohlmus, who is attached to the ACT’s bikie-busting Taskforce Nemesis, gave evidence that Australian Border Force had been considering “for quite some time” a referral to cancel Mr Tu’uta Katoa’s visa.
“This has been expedited by Australian Border Force and has been signed off on and the cancellation will occur if he is granted bail,” Constable Ohlmus said.
During the execution of a search warrant of Mr Tu’uta Katoa’s home, police found a yellow and black Sergeant-at-Arms patch, which are the Comanchero colours and he told police he had held that role for about eight months.
“The Sergeant-at-Arms sits under the commander … their role is to ensure the safety of the gang, to ensure discipline among its members and co-ordinate action against rival gangs or retaliation to any action being put to their gang,” Constable Ohlmus said.
The court heard he wanted to “distance” himself from the Comanchero.
During a successful bail application to the Supreme Court last Wednesday, the court heard Mr Tu’uta Katoa had already left the club and wanted to “fix his life and be a good dad”.
But Constable Ohlmus told the court today it was not easy to leave an outlaw motorcycle gang.
“In my experience one doesn’t just advise they want to leave and then leave,” he said.
“Often they are required to leave an asset such as a Harley Davidson or similar and many of them are assaulted severely.”
The court heard police hold suspicions Mr Tu’uta Katoa was involved in as many as 33 gang related arsons and 22 gang related shootings.
Defence lawyer Peter Bevan said he had not been charged in relation to any of those and there was no evidence Mr Tu’uta Katoa had any contact with members of the Comanchero since May.
He described his client’s criminal history as “pretty modest” and under questioning by Mr Bevan, Constable Ohlmus conceded he had seen “more extensive criminal histories”.
Mr Bevan suggested the police’s case against him over the prohibited weapons charge was “not strong”, given they had only just laid charges despite the incident happening two years ago.
He described the incident at the Hellenic Club as “two drunks misbehaving” in a hotel.
Mr Tu’uta Katoa is also facing charges in the Supreme Court, for blackmail and making threats towards a drug dealer as well as possessing knuckle dusters, which are a prohibited weapon.
He will face trial over those charges at a later date.
The bail application in the Magistrates Court has been adjourned until later this month to seek more information about plans to deport Mr Tu’uta Katoa.
Even if his bid for freedom is approved, Australian Border Force will transfer him to a detention centre where he will await deportation.
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