Bernie Ebbers, the former CE of WorldCom accused of allegedly cooking the books to the tune of $11bn, looked on as the legal fight against him kicked of in frenetic style this week.
Accountancy Age, 19 Jan 2005
Ebbers' lawyers wasted no time in going for the jugular by attacking the credibility of the prosecution's star witness - former WorldCom finance executive Scott Sullivan - at a pre-trial hearing.
In what could be a nasty, sensational scrap The Independent reported that the defence was prepared to go so far as to delve into Sullivan's alleged marital infidelity to discredit him. Judge Barbara Jones denied motion by prosecutors to block this line of questioning.
Jury selection for the trial - which could see Ebbers gaoled for 30 years if he is found guilty of the accounting fraud that triggered the biggest bankruptcy in history - starts today.
The trial itself is scheduled to begin in a week.
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