Alleged New Zealand shooter charged with 49 more counts of murder

The Australian man accused of killing 50 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand is facing an additional 49 murder charges. Brenton Tarrant, 28, appeared in court in Christchurch Friday and was ordered to undergo a mental assessment to determine his fitness for trial over the attacks.

In an attack broadcast live on Facebook, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers in Christchurch on March 15.

Tarrant was charged with one murder the day after the attack and was remanded without a plea. In Christchurch's High Court, where he appeared by video link, 39 extra attempted murder charges were filed along with the 49 new murder charges. He was not required to enter a plea. 

Justice Cameron Mander remanded Tarrant in custody until June 14 and ordered he undergo a mental assessment to determine whether he was fit for trial.

Auckland lawyer Shane Tait said in a statement on his website that he and another Auckland attorney will represent Tarrant. 

Media had reported that Tarrant wished to represent himself and legal experts have said he may try to use the hearings as a platform to present his ideology and beliefs.

On Thursday, German police said Tarrant sent money to a French far-right group.

The Federal Criminal Police Office said it briefed lawmakers on its investigation into ties the alleged Christchurch mosque attacker had to Germany, including buying a ticket to Neuschwanstein Castle last November.

The closed-doors briefing also covered money that Tarrant transferred to the Generation Identity group in France.

Federal police declined to elaborate. But the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported the suspect transferred 2,200 euros ($3,200) in September 2017.

Austrian authorities say Tarrant also donated 1,500 euros ($2,200) to Generation Identity's sister organization, the Identitarian Movement of Austria.