Todd: Let's clear air in drug case

Brent Todd

Police have no plans to extradite Brent Todd from Australia to talk to him about allegations he supplied cocaine and cannabis.

The former league star has been revealed as one of the two high-profile people linked to an alleged drug syndicate that police say was dealing in methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis.

He is protesting his innocence and his lawyer says he wants to clear the air.

Todd has been named as a joint offender in charges laid against company director John Francis Waterworth. One charge alleges that Waterworth "jointly offended with Brent Trevor Todd" in supplying cocaine to another person on June 10.

Another charge alleges Waterworth jointly offended with Todd in supplying cannabis on June 30.

However, Todd himself has not been charged with any offence.

In a surprise move, a lawyer for Todd yesterday asked the Auckland District Court to lift name suppression.

A memorandum filed in court stated Todd wanted it known that he "has not bought, sold or supplied prohibited drugs".

His lawyer, John Billington, QC, would not comment on the allegations, but a lawyer acting on his behalf in court yesterday said Todd wanted to "clear the air".

Mr Billington would not say when Todd would return to New Zealand.

A police spokesman said there were no plans to extradite Todd from Queensland, where he lives.

Former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe urged Todd to deal with the allegations.

"If you are in the public eye and in that profile position that Toddy was in, if mud starts getting thrown it's very damaging. I would hope that it's all untrue but the trouble is that this is such a damaging topic [drugs] ... that it's hard to walk away from it smelling like roses."

A second high-profile former sportsman also named in charges against Waterworth is overseas and has continued name suppression.

Waterworth is alleged to have supplied ecstasy to the man on June 25.

He faces 22 drug charges and is alleged to have been at the top end of the so-called white-collar drug ring busted in central Auckland last month.

A further six people are before the court on charges connected to the covert surveillance operation, codenamed Aqua.

Police said at the time of the bust that it showed drug-dealing was not limited to the criminal underworld and gangs and that amphetamine-type stimulant drugs were used by people from all walks of life.

Brent Todd

* 28 test matches for Kiwis. Later a New Zealand selector.
* 87 first-grade league games in Australia.
* Starred in Celebrity Treasure Island reality TV show.