"Guilty until proven innocent" -- a friend of mine suffers

A friend of ours is an accountant, working exclusively for companies.

He applied for a business loan from a company that subsequently came under investigation for business fraud. I emphasise, he knew nothing about this side of it, he just applied for a regular business loan. (And yes, I believe that implicitly.)

In last weekend's paper, it was reported that he (and he was named) had "audited" the company's books. The inference was that he was part of the fraud. Six of his oldest and most secure clients rang up and cancelled their association with him that weekend. He also received numerous hate calls, incluidng one from the "journalist" who had written the article (because his wife had rung the newspaper and complained). He has paid for a lawyer to attempt to get a retraction from the newspaper.

Two days later, 6.00 a.m., there is a pounding on the front door. His wife (recovering from a heart attack) answers the door to find half a dozen people there. They identify themselves as being from the National Securities Commission. The family is herded onto the front lawn while, for 7 hours, their house is searched, files are removed, and their home computer is dismantled and removed.

They ask to phone their lawyer -- the request is refused. My friend has his address book in his hand, they demand it. He refuses, they attempt to take it by force. He runs it through the fax/photocopier before handing it over.

There are no receipts for anything taken, just a vague "You'll get your computer back later". (What? After they've put a bug in it???)

His wife, still in dressing gown and nightie is refused permission to change. When she has to go to the toilet, she is accompanied by a female, who stands inside the toilet with her.

My friend's business is destroyed, his reputation ruined -- and he has done nothing except apply for a loan from a company that subsequently came under investigation.

Sh*t, it's no wonder we're not allowed to have guns!!!

B
 
Move to America.

[This message has been edited by KilgorII (edited June 02, 2000).]
 
"Move to America?"

Why, so the troops can have MP-5s while they are doing the exact same thing. You odn't necesasarily have a right to a lawyer unless you are being questioned. And if they are searching the house, they don't have to let you in. You are free to go to a neighbor's house and call, right?

This identical situation happens in the US every day. The only difference is, our citizens run the risk of being murdered if they so much as sneeze in an agent's direction.
 
Moving to America won't help. Here it would have been 2AM and they would have broken the door down.

------------------
Byron Quick
 
KilgorII:

I'm not sure the situation would play out much better here.

Bruce:

Sadly, as you are aware, even if your friend wins, he loses. Reputation and future scarred on suspicion. This world sucks, just don't let it grind you down. Support from you may be all your friend has left to him...

SA Scott


[This message has been edited by SA Scott (edited June 02, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bruce in West Oz:
The family is herded onto the front lawn while, for 7 hours, their house is searched, files are removed, and their home computer is dismantled and removed.[/quote]

This sort of thing is sometimes done to make sure certain people don’t get their names in the paper. With this new world order you might accidentally have a fertilizer explosion in your garden. Even if you don’t have a garden.



[This message has been edited by jeffer (edited June 02, 2000).]
 
Wow, this is truly bizarre.

Do you have decent libel laws in OZ? I know we've got a few attorneys on TFL, so perhaps one of them will weigh in. This looks like a classic libel case, with crystal clear damages. The next question would be whether the newspaper has deep pockets.

This is one of the more egregious examples of libel I've ever heard of. If this accountant was simply a customer of the business, then I find this confusion, and the result, to be incredible.

Has your friend retained an attorney?

Regards from AZ
 
Sorry to hear that Bruce, send our best wishes that this ends as well as possible. Those POS idiots that pull this crap need to be strung up. I get more & more tired of this NWO / Socialist / Police state garbage every stinking day.
 
Bruce,

I don't know about Australian law, but your friend should find the best lawyer he can and inquire about filing suit against the Commission for destroying his business on the basis of a rumor printed in a newspaper.

Hope this comes out fairly for all concerned.
 
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