It all started when a black BMW swerved to the wrong side of the road to avoid a speed bump.

The car was driving in Annandale in Sydney's inner west just before 9pm on August 8, 2012, when a senior constable in an unmarked police car saw it swerve. The BMW was pulled over and searched, with officers finding a $50,000 gold bar.

Ian Lazar (right) leaves the Downing Centre with laywer Bryan Wrench after he was found guilty of doing an act with the intention of perverting the course of justice. Credit:Georgina Mitchell

One of the men inside the car said the gold belonged to controversial lender of last resort Ian Lazar. It was confiscated and police began to investigate its origin.

Several weeks later, the officer in charge of the case Detective Senior Constable David Roberts had contacted Lazar so frequently about making a statement that Lazar lamented, "mate, he's like the Gestapo".