New Zealand moves to strip knighthood over child porn
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New Zealand moves to strip knighthood over child porn
AFP / Apr 1, 2021, 09:13 IST
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WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern moved to strip high-profile businessman Ron Brierley of his knighthood on Thursday after the Sydney-based octogenarian pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
In what is believed to be an unprecedented move, Ardern s office said she had launched action to remove the honour, which was bestowed on New Zealand-born Brierley in 1988. There is a process for forfeiture, and the prime minister has asked for this to be initiated, a spokesman said.
Thursday, 1 April 2021, 1:22 pm
Today’s guilty plea in Sydney by New Zealand-born
businessman Sir Ron Brierley, to charges of possessing child
sex abuse material, should pave the way for the former
high-flyer to be stripped of his knighthood, says a
long-time campaigner and law reformer on such
crimes.
Stop Demand founder and barrister Denise
Ritchie, MNZM, said that given today’s guilty plea the
process should be relatively
straightforward.
According to the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet, an honours award can be removed
on the advice of the Prime Minister and with the approval of
the Queen. Grounds for doing so include, but are not limited
Sir Ron Brierley.
Photo: Getty Images
Having honed his skills in the 1970s, Brierley s self-named investment company set about finding suitable targets.
It looked for the lame, the tired, the old, and the defenceless companies that were undervalued, underperforming, and ripe for taking.
Brierley Investments would make an offer that few chose to ignore. Having secured a prize it would then look to add value - more often than not through restructuring, taking out costs, dismemberment, asset sale, and then selling the core or rump of the target.
In the space of two decades, Brierley Investments had played with Air New Zealand, Dominion Breweries, New Zealand News (publishers of the now defunct Auckland and Christchurch Stars), Sky City Entertainment, New Zealand Insurance, Australia s Fairfax Holdings, Rothmans, Britain s Thistle Hotel chain, and the UK investment bank Guiness Peat.
New Zealand businessman guilty of having child abuse images
by Nick Perry, The Associated Press
Posted Apr 1, 2021 12:17 am EDT
Last Updated Apr 1, 2021 at 12:28 am EDT
Ron Brierley leaves the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney, Thursday, April 1, 2021. Brierley, one of New Zealand s most well-known businessmen, pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing child sex abuse images, including some of children as young as 2. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand One of New Zealand’s most well-known businessmen pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing child sex abuse images, including some of children as young as 2.
Ron Brierley’s pleas on three charges in an Australian court have sparked a rarely invoked procedure to strip him of the knighthood he received more than 30 years ago.