Accountant walks free as Nadir trial is shelved

ASIL NADIR's former chief accountant, John Turner, walked free yesterday after his trial collapsed. The Serious Fraud Office dropped all charges, saying it was 'manifestly unfair' to try Mr Turner in the absence of his boss.

However, the SFO's counsel, Robert Owen QC, insisted that the investigators were still determined to secure Nadir's return from northern Cyprus, where he fled on 5 May, and to go ahead with theft charges totalling pounds 30m against him.

'He will be tried whenever he returns to the jurisdiction, whenever that may be, and the Crown will make every effort to ensure his return.'

But the SFO emphasised that there was no possibility of trying Mr Nadir in his absence, and Mr Justice Tucker at the Old Bailey adjourned the trial of the fugitive tycoon indefinitely, saying: 'I have no other course to take.'

If Nadir does not return of his own free will, no charges will be brought in connection with the pounds 2bn collapse of Polly Peck.

Mr Turner had been facing 10 charges of false accounting involving pounds 7.3m. He had pleaded not guilty.

The judge was told that dropping the case against Mr Turner, the former company secretary of Polly Peck, would not prejudice the case against Nadir. The judgeE then ordered formal not guilty verdicts to be entered.

THER write errorMr Turner said as he left court that he was in a state of shock, but refusing to comment further. His solicitor, Jeremy Wall, read a statement describing the stress and strain of the past two years and Mr Turner's satisfaction that he had finally been cleared. He asked that Mr Turner be left alone to rebuild his career as a chartered accountant.

Nadir and Mr Turner were due to be tried together, but that plan was thrown into dissaray when Mr Nadir skipped pounds 3.5m bail and fled to Cyprus.

Mr Owen said: 'It had always been the intention to try Mr Turner with, or after Mr Nadir. The essence was that accounting entries were made by him to conceal thefts by Nadir. It is the Crown's view that if tried alone and before Asil Nadir, Mr Turner would be seriously prejudiced.'

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