Coc-Kroft gives up on secrecy in celebrity drug case

Lana Coc-Kroft with Marc Ellis. File picture / Bay of Plenty Times

Lana Coc-Kroft has given up trying to conceal that she is the mystery television personality caught up in a drugs case involving sports stars Brent Todd, Marc Ellis, and Josh Kronfeld.

Her agent said today that continuing name suppression she had been granted by the courts was "no longer a requirement of hers".

Ms Coc-Kroft had obtained an order preventing her identification but that lapsed yesterday.

In a hearing at Auckland District Court, the court was told her name came up as wanting to buy cocaine and "pills" as Todd and former All Black Kronfeld visited an apartment, which was under round-the-clock surveillance.

But Ms Coc-Kroft said in a statement issued by her agents Sporting Contacts today: "This upsetting affair has all come about because a group of guys under the influence started throwing my name around in a conversation recorded by police.

"I wasn't part of the conversation, because I wasn't there."

When the story broke last year, police requested to meet with Lana to inform her how her name had come up, her agent said. They also wanted her to explain the nature of her relationship with the people involved.

Kronfeld has admitted using cannabis, but does not face any charges, Ellis was fined $300 for possessing ecstasy, and Todd has been named as a co-offender but has never been charged as he is yet to return to New Zealand.

In September last year, Coc-Kroft told the Herald she had met police and was told she would not be charged.

She said at the time: "A number of weeks ago the police contacted me and wanted to talk about any contacts I'd had with people involved in their investigations. I subsequently met the police ... they made it clear to me that they weren't planning on charging me with anything in relation to their investigation.

"I also met the police today to discuss the facts outlined in this statement."

She said then that she felt compelled to release a statement after "so much speculation and rumours".

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF, NZPA