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I heard they're closing in on Gillard now.
Craig Thomson and the red turbo spa room,
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...d-turbo-spa-room/story-fn59nqld-1226774931499
What would the real Thommo think of this ?
The case against Craig Thomson has been in the court again this week.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ertainment-court/story-e6frg6nf-1226807648760
Not well at all.Yes Doc and it is not going too well for him ATM.
The court heard on Wednesday the prosecution believed the question of whether Mr Thomson was authorised to use the credit cards for personal use was the sole outstanding ''live'' issue, as the mechanics of the charges and the transactions were no longer in dispute.
But Greg James, QC, for Mr Thomson, said his client's ''state of mind'' was also likely to be a point of difference when the parties made their closing submissions.
Public release of documents unearthed during the investigation *was sought by the Coalition in *opposition through a Senate inquiry in 2012 *but Labor’s then chair of the committee, Gavin Marshall, blocked the release, *citing the potential for the *misinterpretation of the evidence and privacy concerns.
Now the court process has brought some of that evidence into the public realm. Among dozens of witness *statements and documents the *Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has released in recent days is a memorandum detailing $770 spent in May 2005 at a “dinner function”.
Bookkeeper Belinda Ord told the court that the words “Internat Immobilior” were written in Mr Thomson’s handwriting on the memorandum.
That followed earlier evidence *International Immobiliare is the *trading name of escort agency Boardroom Escorts in Sydney.
The damning document was included in the dossier provided to the Senate committee that was blocked from public release.
At the time of the decision *Mr Thomson provided the government with a crucial supporting vote from the crossbench even though he had been expelled from the Labor Party.
Coalition senator Eric Abetz at the time described the file as a “treasure trove” and accused Labor of holding onto the documents to protect Mr Thomson. Senator Marshall did not respond to detailed questions when contacted by AFR Weekend.
But in summing up the case, prosecutor Lesley Taylor told the court it was "self-evidently absurd" that a written policy was necessary for "intelligent, experienced union officials, particularly for Craig Thomson" as a former lawyer, to be aware that he could not use his union funded credit cards for whatever he liked.
She said if Thomson "honestly believed there was some loophole somewhere," he would not have had to "partake in subterfuge" to mask his transactions.
Documents released by the court last week show Thomson's credit card statements were at odds with some explanations he gave to the union.
On one occasion, his card showed funds had been spent at a Sydney brothel and Thomson had claimed the expense as meetings at the union's national office.
Ms Taylor told the court Thomson had also made admissions in a voluntary interview to Fair Work Australia that there was no legitimate reason for his spending of union funds on escort services and expenses for his then-wife.
She also accused Thomson of telling lies to the Australian media.
Ms Taylor focused on the union's rules, which she argued clearly showed union funds were only to be spent for the benefits of members.
"There is nothing in the registered rules that allows the national secretary or anyone else to use union funds for personal benefit," she said.
"He knew what these expenses were, lax auditing or insufficient auditing... doesn't change his behaviour or authorise him to continue."
Ms Taylor said the evidence showed Thomson would regularly hire R-rated movies and then contact a brothel and that that conduct was part of his "personal behaviour" while using a union account.
The defence is yet to make its closing argument.
That would be seen as a miscarriage of justice in the eyes of the public, especially given his former public profile and his denials, both inside and outside the parliament.I doubt he'll get the slammer. Good behaviour bond probably
I'm of the view that Craig Thomson himself should be hauled up before Parliament to apologise.PRIME Minister Tony Abbott will today call on the parliament to issue the apology on behalf of all MPs to the people accused of corruption by the convicted fraudster and disgraced former Labor MP.
The extraordinary move was flagged in a notice of motion tabled last night by the leader of the house Christopher Pyne.
And Labor will support the Coalition move, it emerged today.
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