By Edward Gay of 
The Auckland District Court where the prominent political figure's case was called on Tuesday Photo: ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY/STUFF
A prominent political figure accused of sexually assaulting boys and young men is continuing his legal fight to keep his name secret.
While Stuff cannot identify the man, it can be reported he is not a sitting MP.
The man has pleaded not guilty to nine charges of indecent assault relating to two alleged victims in the 1990s and is due to face a trial in August 2024.
His case was called in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday where he continued his bid for name suppression. Parts of the legal argument cannot be reported, given it could potentially identify the man.
The man's lawyer Ian Brookie said naming his client could ruin his ability to earn a living and continued media reporting could impinge on his rights to a fair trial.
Brookie pointed to an affidavit from a recruiter who said the man would be unlikely to be offered job opportunities if employers knew of his active charges.
He said that could cause him to have to sell his house.
"Obviously there is a degree of speculation, but we are trying to work out matters of probability based on future events."
Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock said the potential loss of earnings argument was entirely speculative.
She said the man had filed an affidavit saying he had lost out on potential job opportunities and people were not calling him back.
"If that is true, it is hard to see how publication is an issue. On his own account they already know, the horse has already bolted."
She said another reason for the lack of calls could just be they were not interested.
McClintock said social media posts showed suspicion was falling on other people and that was always a risk with name suppression.
She said naming the man could also bring other complainants forward.
McClintock acknowledged it was speculative but said: "You don't know what you don't know".
Judge Anna Skellern said she had a lot of material to go through and reserved her decision.
* This story originally appeared on Stuff.
