GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Public prosecutors in Egypt have completed their case against former President Hosni Mubarak and they have called for the death penalty, by hanging, for him and seven government officials, including his interior minister, Habib El-Adly. They have argued that he was personally implicated in the deaths of several protesters during the uprising [...]
And the verdict is . . . GUILTY (Michael Jackson’s death at the hands of Conrad Murray)
November 7, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The celebrity trial of the year appears to be that of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, for involuntary manslaughter. The jury said at 11:00 Los Angeles times Monday that it had reached a verdict. GUILTY, they said, one by one. The Los Angeles Times reported that “Dr Conrad Murray faces up to [...]
Carlos the Jackal on trial nearly 30 years after crimes
November 7, 2011 by
PARIS, FRANCE – Carlos, known as the Jackal, is on trial in Paris for crimes committed some 30 years ago, and the courtroom proceedings promise to be colourful, if the first day was anything to go by. His lawyer, who is also his wife, argued that the statute of limitations is not three decades, while [...]
Ex-Ukraine PM Timochenko given 7 yrs in prison
October 11, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Former Unkrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymochenko was handed a seven-year prison sentence Tuesday 11 October, found guilty of criminally abusing her power, in particular of losing large amounts of money in a natural gas deal with Russia. Tymochenko was one of the heroes of the Orange Revolution in 2004 who fought the [...]
Terreblanche trial in S Africa underway
October 10, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The trial of two men for the murder of white supremacist Eugene Terre’Blanche is underway in South Africa, after two delays. The prosecution claims that the two, a 16-year-old farm worker and Chris Mahlangu, 29, who also worked on Terre’Blanche’s farm, meted out the 28 blows that killed the farmer in April [...]
Abacha retrial to go ahead
September 21, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss Federal Tribunal has ordered a new trial for Abba Abacha, son of former Nigerian General Sani Abacha, who ruled the country for five years in the 1990s. He was suspected of stealing more than $2 billion and after his death his sons managed the money. Abba Abacha was given a [...]
A9 autoroute ANPR radar test period ends, fines kick in 31 August
August 25, 2011 by
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Blame or thank the sun: hot weather in June and July caused a serious case of heatstroke, but not to people: the pricey new radar system on the A9 autoroute in Vaud, near the border with Valais, didn’t function as well as expected because of the impact of high temperatures on the [...]
Russia’s Magnitsky corruption investigation continues after his death
August 3, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Russian authorities look set to continue their investigation into the affairs of Sergei Magnitsky, who was beaten to death in prison in November 2009, after the Heritage Capital lawyer spent 11 months in prison, in pre-trial detention. He was arrested on tax evasion charges, reports the Moscow Times, after he “accused several [...]
Italy versus Berlusconi: the boss loses
June 14, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Voters in Italy soundly rejected a three-part referendum in voting Sunday and Monday 12-13 June, handing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a defeat that he acknowledged Sunday evening. The referendum asked Italians if they wanted to reject legislation covering three issues: a return to a nuclear energy programme privatization of water resources government [...]
