PHOTO: Jenny Evans/Getty Images
New
Zealand born businessman, Sir Ron Brierley, pleaded guilty to three charges of possession
of child pornography in court in Australia.
Brierley,
83, was knighted for services to business management in 1988.
New
Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has asked for the process to strip
Brierley of his knighthood to commence.
SYDNEY
– Renowned former corporate raider Sir Ron Brierley pleaded guilty to
possession of child pornography in an Australian court on Thursday, his lawyer
said.
The
83-year-old New Zealand-born businessman is best known for waging high stakes
battles for control over some of Australasia s most recognisable companies,
Stop Demand founder and barrister Denise Ritchie told
Checkpoint under the public opinion, it would be considered wrong for him to hold a royal honour under these circumstances. There was always the alternative for the prime minister s office to not take any steps until later in the month when he is sentenced, so we wanted to pre-empt that [with a statement]. Given his guilty plea, we thought the process should be relatively straightforward and there was no reason for the process [of removing his knighthood] not to begin immediately, so well done to the PM, it was a decisive step forward.