Gun City owner David Tipple charged by MPI over unloading of sea containers

A high profile New Zealand gun retailer is facing charges over failing to comply with the Biosecurity Act. 

Ministry of Primary Industries has laid charges against Gun City owner David Tipple and Gun City relating to the alleged unlawful unloading of sea containers.

According to the charging documents the offences occurred between May and December 2017 and in June 2018.

The allegations against Tipple include him consenting to Gun City employees opening and unloading sea containers without an inspector or accredited person present, permitting employees of Gun City disposing of wood packaging material knowing this was unauthorised goods, as well as authorising employees to breach the Biosecurity Act by having a sea container delivered to the company's transitional facility without being checked by an accredited person.

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Gun City Limited is charged with failing to comply with the Biosecurity Act, providing an inspector with false or misleading information about uncleared goods, disposing of unauthorised goods and failing to comply with the operating standards of a transitional facility.

If convicted, some of the charges carry fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or imprisonment. 

A Gun City employee told Stuff on Monday Tipple was overseas. 

Tipple has been remanded to appear in the Christchurch District Court on April 20.