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Los Angeles: In his first opportunity to rebut charges that could put him away for life, private eye Anthony Pellicano on Thursday sidestepped the government's allegations that he was the heart and soul of a wiretapping and racketeering ring that empowered celebrities and other well-heeled clients to "discredit and in some cases destroy" their adversaries.
Instead, the former investigator, acting as his own attorney, told the packed courtroom of US District Judge Dale S. Fischer that his successful business "served clients in problem solving" for years.
"That is what [I] was paid for, gathering information," Pellicano said. "The evidence will show what it shows."
The surprising statements came after Assistant US Attorney Kevin Lally, in opening remarks, told the eight-man, four-woman jury that Pellicano, 63, and his co-defendants accessed telephone company records and police files, intimidated courtroom witnesses and exploited the justice system - all for personal gain.
"This is a case about corruption in some of society's most fundamental institutions ... corruption fuelled by greed," Lally said. "And at the centre of this corruption was Anthony Pellicano."
Deposits
Pellicano, the prosecutor told the jury, charged $25,000 [about Dh91,775] non-refundable deposits to people who could pay a "premium price" to win lawsuits, child custody battles, business disputes or even defend against serious criminal charges. And to cinch those victories, Lally alleged, Pellicano routinely used what the prosecutor called the "gold standard" of confidential information: illegal wiretaps.
"It's the star-studded list Hollywood's been waiting for," gushed the trade paper Variety as opening arguments began Thursday in the criminal wiretapping and racketeering trial against Anthony Pellicano, the fallen Gumshoe to the Stars. The list of 127 potential witnesses includes stars Sylvester Stallone, Chris Rock and Garry Shandling, Paramount head honcho Brad Grey, chief of Universal Studios Ron Meyer, former super-agent Michael Ovitz and the celebrity lawyer Bert Fields.
The government charges that Pellicano, 63, used his listening devices to gain an edge for his rich clients as they faced ugly child-custody battles, messy divorces and lawsuits. According to court papers, hedge fund manager Adam Sender paid Pellicano $500,000 [Dh1.8 million] during his legal struggles with film producer and Nevada gubernatorial candidate Aaron Russo.
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