Thiess loses bribery appeal

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE -- Prominent developer Sir Leslie Thiess could face a legal bill of more than $2 million after the Full Court upheld a jury's findings that he bribed former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

A Supreme Court jury found last April that allegations made by Channel 9 that Thiess had won multimillion contracts by bribing Bjelke-Petersen were true, the Full Court said.

The Full Court on April 2 dismissed Thiess' appeal on the grounds that the findings of the jury were open to them on the evidence.

It also said that the jury was able to conclude that Thiess had defrauded and cheated shareholders of the company he controlled, and defrauded fellow shareholder Kumagai Gumi by diverting company funds to his own use.

Thiess may now lose his licence to operate the Breakwater Casino in Townsville.

Despite these findings, the Special Prosecutor's Office says it has no intention of pursuing the bribery charges further by laying criminal charges against Thiess or Bjelke-Petersen.

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