The prominent businessman accused of indecently assaulting three young men says he knew nothing of a plot to bribe one of them to withdraw his complaint.
Photo: justice.govt.nz
The businessman, whose name is suppressed, is on trial in the High Court at Auckland.
He has taken to the stand to give evidence in his defence for a second day.
The accused denies three charges of indecent assault and two charges of attempting to dissuade a witness.
His co-accused, who also has name suppression, faces one charge of attempting to dissuade a witness, which he too denies.
Crown prosecutor, Simon Foote, repeatedly asked the businessman whether he instructed an associate to get two public relation specialists to try bribe a complainant to retract his statement, during a glitzy trip to the Gold Coast.
The businessman said he knew nothing of the plan until it came up during the trial.
He called the idea ridiculous and said that he would not have encouraged it if he knew about it.
The Crown's case is that the defendant took advantage of others by using his powerful and influential position in criminal ways, including by indecently assaulting three young men who had gone to him for help.
The trial before Justice Venning and a jury of nine women and three men continues.