Entertainer loses name suppression bid but cannot yet be revealed

A well-known entertainer swept up in the so-called "sting of the century" - accused of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars for a drug importation operation - has been dealt a legal blow after a judge at the High Court at Auckland declined his bid for continued name suppression.

However, the person's name can't yet be revealed because he and three co-defendants intend to appeal the judgment.

The four defendants are among the roughly 40 people charged in New Zealand in June as part of Operation Trojan Shield, a global sting targeting alleged criminals using what they thought was an encrypted messaging app.

In reality, the app was created by the FBI and the Australian Federal Police - an attempt to get intel on criminal groups. Worldwide, more than 800 people were swept up in the sting.

The entertainer faces charges of participating in an organised criminal group and conspiracy to launder $420,000. He's set to go to trial with nine others in May 2023.

After he was granted interim name suppression at Rotorua District Court last year, the Herald was allowed to identify him only as a well-known entertainer. Details of his career cannot be reported without identifying him.

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The hearing to determine if his name suppression should continue had been postponed multiple times since August due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on the judicial system. But a hearing did take place last month at the High Court at Auckland, and Justice Mark Woolford's judgment was released to the media today.

Revealing the defendant's name prior to trial would damage his ability to make a living as an entertainer, defence counsel Ron Mansfield QC said last month.

"He would be reliant on a benefit if he was not able to do any work," Mansfield argued. "That damage to his reputation would be permanent even if he was found to be not guilty of these allegations."