Former banker belatedly cops $15k fine for importing steroids

• Author: Matt Nippert
• Published date: 26 January 2023
• Publication title: Hawkes Bay Today

Zamir Hussain was sentenced to $15,000 in fines and costs in relation to importing steroids from Thailand labelled as “lube oil” or “herpes ointment” and repackaging and reselling the goods in New Zealand

Hussain, 44, appeared in Auckland District Court on Tuesday after a 14-year absence from the country and pleaded guilty to 39 outstanding charges under the Medicines Act relating to steroid importation and sale.

Outside court, Hussain told NZME he had left for Australia in early 2009 — after Medsafe had raided his property for documents and served him with a letter indicating charges were pending — and was relieved to finally see the matter reach a conclusion.

“Obviously when I left I knew there was going to be charges laid,” Hussain said.

Hussain said he had arrived in Auckland a few weeks ago following the death of his Auckland-based father. He said he visited the Manukau police station the day after his father’s funeral to engage over the long-outstanding steroid charges.

He said the offending underlying the steroid charges — for which his co-accused Mark Rainbow had pleaded guilty to in 2010 — came after he was unable to continue his career in banking after a dispute with his former employer ANZ.

Hussain said that he had developed an interest in bodybuilding at the time and “he [Rainbow] was my nutritionist when this stuff kicked off”.

A spokesperson for ANZ referred to a 2010 finding against Hussain by the Employment Relations Authority that “found that Mr Hussain breached the terms of his employment by not carrying out his duties with reasonable care and diligence and not in compliance with the requirements of the bank’s procedures. In doing so he prejudiced the safe and proper conduct of the employer’s business.”

Hussain insisted he was innocent of ANZ’s allegations, and said the ERA case was uncontested...