A man accused of fatally shooting Peter Rasmussen, 75, in Ōtāhuhu, can finally be named as Lasalosi Vaitohi.
Vaitohi, 30, was one of three men charged with murder following an alleged prison-ordered “hit gone wrong”, which left Rasmussen dead in his own home.
Vaitohi lost his battle for name suppression at the High Court in Auckland.
Vaitohi, along with an 18-year-old and 22-year-old who cannot be named, were charged with murder four months after the murder.
“Meanwhile prison inmate Amit Singh, 31, has been charged with conspiring with Vaitohi to injure a woman, a week prior to Rasmussen’s death”, reported Radio ZB.
Rasmussen died in his home of many years on Princes St East, just days before his birthday.
He was a stalwart of the Ōtāhuhu Rovers Rugby League Football Club for about 60 years, where he was a coach, “old boy” and life member.
“Everyone looked up to him and waited for his comments after a game of course, which were always straight to the point,” club president Wallace Dumper said at the time of his death.
“What the hell happened?”
A four-week trial has been set down for August 2023.
In 2015 Police issued a warrant to arrest Vaitohi for Breach of Parole. It said Vaitohi also sought for a serious assault.
