A prominent Rotorua man has been found guilty of selling cannabis and possession of the drug for supply.
Suppression of the man's name was lifted yesterday, but cannot be published because he was the subject of a new suppression application made by his lawyer last night.
The man had been on trial in the Rotorua District Court after pleading not guilty to one charge of selling cannabis, and two charges of possession of cannabis for supply.
The jury found him guilty of all charges last night after deliberating for four hours.
Judge Chris McGuire has remanded the man on bail to reappear in court for sentencing on November 4.
It was the Crown case that the man sold cannabis to an undercover police officer on December 17 last year.
Police were running a drug investigation in November and December last year called Operation Strike.
The operation targeted various addresses in Rotorua and the man sold a tinnie of cannabis to an undercover police officer while at one of the targeted houses, the court was told in evidence.
On December 17 he not only sold a cannabis tinnie - cannabis wrapped in tinfoil - to the undercover officer, but he produced three others, the court heard.
As part of the operation the man's workplace was searched and cannabis was found in a container in a fridge.
In a brief opening statement the man's lawyer, Fraser Wood, said this was a case of mistaken identity.
He said there was no dispute that cannabis had been sold by someone.
"The identity of the person who had the transaction with the police officer was what we need to establish."
Mr Wood said that when his client's workplace was searched he was not in Rotorua.
"A number of other people had access to that place."