A well-known New Zealand entertainer charged with money laundering has pleaded not guilty.
The man faces several charges alongside others, including allegedly conspiring to launder $6 million and participating in an organised crime group.
He was excused from attending the Auckland District Court this morning, but not guilty pleas for all charges were entered through his lawyer and he elected trial by jury.
Interim name suppression was continued, preventing 1 NEWS from naming the man or identifying his work.
He was arrested following a global gang bust in June this year involving several law enforcement agencies across the world, including New Zealand's police force.
It came after it emerged that an encrypted messaging application used by thousands of criminals across the world was actually secretly run by the FBI.
The New Zealand police initially arrested 35 people and lay more than 900 charges.
Police also seized $3.7 million in assets, as well as 20 ounces of methamphetamine, a large quantity of cannabis, kilograms of iodine, guns, cellphones, 14 vehicles, and an estimated $1 million in cash.
At the time police said more arrests were likely.
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