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Two men have appeared in court for the death of a man in a house fire in East Auckland.
One pleaded not guilty, the other did not plead guilty.
Both men, who were granted provisional name suppression, appeared in Manukau District Court on Wednesday.
George Block / Stuff
Wiremu Arapo died in a house in Cockle Bay, east of Auckland, in October.
They were jointly charged with the murder of Wiremu Arapo at a Cockle Bay home in October.
READ MORE:
* Cockle Bay homicide: two men charged with murder in the death of Wiremu Arapo
* Police are looking for videos and photos of a house fire in East Auckland where a former soldier died
* The man who died in the Cockle Bay house fire in Auckland was Wiremu Arapo, 27.
Neither was released on bail and both remained in pre-trial detention until their next appearance in Auckland High Court on January 27, 2021.
DAVID BLANCO / THINGS
Wiremu Arapo’s body was discovered through the front door of the house.
The two men, both 32 years old, stood on the docks while family members watched.
On October 20, emergency services found a Minerva Terrace home on fire. Arapo’s body was found by the front door.
In November, a murder investigation was launched.
On Tuesday, Detective Sgt. Craig Bolton said police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the death.
“I hope the news of the arrests brings some reassurance to the Cockle Bay community,” he said.
However, he appealed to the public to keep sending information if they had any.
