Former Enron boss gets an appeal on technicality
THE US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal by former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling against his 2006 conviction for fraud.
Skilling, who is serving a 24-year sentence for his involvement in the giant accounting fraud, has secured an appeal after his lawyers argued his 19 convictions were based on flawed legal theory.
They said prosecutors improperly relied on the “honest services” theory of law, under which staff are bound to not put their interests ahead of their company’s.
Skilling did not breach this duty as he never was dishonest to Enron, they have claimed.
He has also argued that the jury that convicted him was biased by press coverage in Houston before the trial.
Daniel Petrocelli, Skilling’s lawyer who represented him at the original trial, said: “To say we are relieved that finally a court has agreed to review these issues is understatement.”