Petricevic is certainly not broke

Petricevic is certainly not broke

The Sensible Sentencing Trust was disappointed with the High Court’s decision yesterday that it did not have “standing” to bring an action asking the Court to review a decision of the Parole Board to release serial fraudster Rod Petricevic from prison on Monday. However, some valuable lessons were learned from yesterday’s case. We also gained some interesting information about Petricevic himself.

“This guy is supposedly bankrupt and broke” said Trust founder Garth McVicar.

“We learned yesterday that he had engaged one of New Zealand’s most expensive lawyers – Paul Davison QC – to represent him. And this isn’t the first time since Petricevic went to prison that Mr Davison has been engaged to go into bat for him”.

“When Petricevic first became eligible for parole – and was declined – he apparently engaged Mr Davison to take the Board to court to try and have the decision reversed. His application was declined. We very much doubt Mr Davison was donating his time for free, either in August 2014 or yesterday” said McVicar.

“Where does this bankrupt quickly get money necessary to hire high powered lawyers when things don’t go his way? Does he have wealthy friends who are happy to stump up thousands of dollars for him when necessary? Or does he have all or part of the $400 million of investors’ money he 'lost' safely salted away in family trusts and offshore? I think we all know the answer to that” McVicar said.

“Our lawyer told the Judge yesterday that Petricevic was just as dangerous as a druggie who holds up a liquor store. The Trust completely endorses that submission. One of Petricevic’s victims – who had lost $250,000 of his life savings to him - eloquently told TV News last night that Petricevic had caused a lot more misery to many more people than one bank robber. Without in any way diminishing the dreadful suffering inflicted on the victims of armed robberies, we agree with that man” said McVicar.

“As a result of the case, information about Mr Petricevic and his hidden millions is flowing in to the Trust. If Petricevic thinks he can slink back into the community and disappear – like the millions he mysteiously 'lost' – he can think again” said McVicar. “His victims have to live with the consequences of his actions; so must he.”

ENDS

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