A well-known sportsperson allegedly connected to an international drug syndicate has lost his bid for name suppression - but still can't be named.
The man has been linked to a group convicted of importing large quantities of methamphetamine out of California.
During their trial last year, the sportsman, known only as X, was alleged to have helped finance the deal by exchanging New Zealand dollars into US dollars.
A message on one criminal's phone stated: "They won't question him about it because he's the (redacted)". People "know he rich anyway so he'll be good to change it with no hassles," it said.
More allegations also linked the sportsman to buying meth and "white pills". Police obtained a search warrant, but it was never executed and the sportsperson was never charged.
Now he has lost his attempt to keep his name suppression, after Justice Mathew Downs issued his High Court decision on Tuesday.
Justice Downs said, while this might cause undue hardship to the sportsperson, this is still outweighed by the "presumption of open reporting".
He also acknowledged there was "legitimate public interest" in why police decided not to charge someone who may have been involved in criminal offending.
But the sportsperson's lawyer, Mike Heron QC, has indicated he will appeal the decision, meaning the man still can't be named until the Court of Appeal has heard the case.
Heron says his client still denies all the allegations.
