Petroulias trial ends in hung jury

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From earlier this week, but it might be of interest to folk who followed the entire thing

The jury in the fraud trial of former assistant tax commissioner Nick Petroulias was discharged today after three weeks of deliberation and a three-month trial after it failed to reach a verdict.

Counting the time spent on legal argument, the case, brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Tax Office has been on foot since February this year and has cost Petroulias an estimated $5 million in defence costs.

Discharging the jury yesterday Supreme Court judge Brian Sully remanded Petroulias until October to determine whether the DPP will press for a retrial.

The complicated and forensic case centres on whether a series of private binding rulings and advance opinions issued by Petroulias and his staff during 1997 and 1998 - when he held the position of assistant tax commissioner - had the effect of defrauding the Commonwealth of revenue.

If proven, that charge carries a 10-year jail term.

Petroulias was also charged with corruption for allegedly receiving money from tax scheme promoters for issuing some rulings and for the unauthorised publication of confidential Tax Office information, mainly client lists of promoters.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/petroulias-trial-ends-in-hung-jury/2005/08/16/1123958052566.html