The Government is being criticised for overlooking opportunities to rehabilitate the Auckland supermarket terrorist, and placing him in a poorly equipped mosque in the months before Friday’s terror attack.

In the immediate aftermath of terror attack, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said all avenues were explored to mitigate the risk the terrorist, Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen, posed to the community.

But Ardern now says reviews are needed to produce “more detail” about attempts to manage the Auckland supermarket terrorist, as questions mount.

New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari​ said the association, the largest Muslim community organisation in New Zealand, received a request from Corrections for assistance with Samsudeen’s re-integration in 2020.

As the association did not have the capability to fully support Samsudeen, Kashkari said a formal programme and resourcing was needed.

He was involved in meetings with Corrections, Samsudeen’s lawyer, and advocacy group Just Community, and he asked Corrections for a “terms of reference” setting out responsibilities.

“It’s always possible to provide support, just as long as you put the resources to it,” he said.

However, such a programme never eventuated. There was further email correspondence, and association’s imams also visited Samsudeen in prison twice, including in April this year.

“And then I got an email in May, saying that he was going to be released, and he has refused any support from the Muslim community.”

When Samsudeen was released from custody in July on the condition he live at Masjid e Bilal, a mosque in Glenn Eden, the association was not informed.

Kashkari questioned whether the mosque was a suitable choice, and said an inquiry was needed to investigate further what happened.

"It's a small centre and, if a big organisation like ours doesn't have all the skills and capabilities ... Did they provide them those resources? Did they provide them those skills to be able to manage him?”

Australian de-radicalisation expert Dr Clarke Jones said on Sunday the police appeared to have little interest in a community-led programme to rehabilitate the terrorist.

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Jones helped Just Community prepare the beginnings of a programme for Samsudeen in 2018.

“There was definitely quite a lot of room for rehabilitation ... His level of co-operation wasn't the best, but we were trying to get that sort of trusting relationship with him to get that traction, to be able to be in a position to provide the right support.”

Ardern, at a press conference on Monday afternoon, said she was confident that government agencies “did everything within their power to keep the community safe”.

“What I can also say is that leaders within our Muslim community have done nothing but be as helpful as possible to work alongside agencies to just ensure the community is safe.”

But she said there was “room for us still to look in a little more detail” at efforts to psychologically assess and rehabilitate Samsudeen.

Ardern said both a coroner’s review and Independent Police Conduct Authority review would give “extra insight”.

A police spokesman, in a statement, said there were “limited options” for suitable addresses for Samsudeen to be released too.

“The accommodation annexe at [the mosque on] Waikaukau Road was assessed by Corrections and supported by police as being an environment that would support his rehabilitation,” the statement read.

“It is clear that people associated to the premises tried as hard as they could to moderate his views and behaviour and we thank them for their leadership in our community.”

Corrections national commissioner Rachel Leota, in a statement provided on Monday evening, said a plan was developed rehabilitate Samsudeen from his extremist views.

“Attempts were made to provide him with mental health support while he was in prison, however he refused to engage. He also refused to meet with a Corrections psychologist while in prison.

“Corrections engaged with the local Muslim community with the intention of having an Imam meet with him regarding his spiritual beliefs.

“He met with the Imam twice, however he didn’t engage in a meaningful way. Corrections has no ability to compel an offender to take part in rehabilitation activities.”