Vic: Pratt charges withdrawn

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2009
Vic: Pratt charges withdrawn

Lawyers for RICHARD PRATT say the ailing billionaire will take some comfort from today's
Federal Court ruling .. that a crucial piece of evidence in his criminal trial was ruled
inadmissible.

Prosecutors have since dropped the charges against the dying businessman .. but say
it's due to his ill health.

Mr PRATT was facing criminal charges for misleading the ACCC at a 2005 hearing .. when
he denied a conversation he'd allegedly had about price fixing with Amcor chief executive
RUSSELL JONES.

His lawyer LEON ZWIER says the ruling will provide Mr PRATT some comport in his final
hours .. but that he must now be declared innocent of the charges.

ACCC chief executive BRIAN CASSIDY says the DPP still believes the case is strong ..

despite the evidence being ruled inadmissible.

AAP RTV df/mh/tm

KEYWORD: PRATT (MELBOURNE)

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