Asil Nadir, the former boss of failed conglomerate Polly Peck, has been found guilty of a further seven charges of theft from company coffers two days after a jury at the Old Bailey convicted him on three similar counts.
The 71-year-old former tycoon, who had been a hero in the City of London for much of the 1980s, fled to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus three years after the £2bn business empire collapsed in 1990.
He did not return to the UK until 2010, when the process of bringing him to trial was immediately restarted. A jury – reduced by two members to three women and seven men – has taken seven months to hear all the evidence.
Counsel for the Serious Fraud Office, Philip Shears QC, alleged that Nadir had stolen £150m from Polly Peck coffers, using proceeds to for himself and his family.
Shears said the lengthy trial had focused only on a small sample of Nadir's alleged thievery, with 13 counts on the indictment relating to the transfer of £34m out of Polly Peck.
Nadir had pleaded not guilty on all counts. Earlier in the trial Nadir had told the court he fled the UK because "my hope of a fair trial was in tatters. I had zero hope of receiving a fair trial."
The jury has found Nadir not guilty on three counts – all similar theft offences.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010
The Guardian
@guardianmore stories from The Guardian
Latest news, sport, business, comment, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice.
The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire
Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain
'Arsenal are best for David Villa' - Invincible speaks out
Chelsea bound Mourinho: 'I'm going to London'
Former Tottenham boss stitched up over 'Bale to Madrid' claim
Imminent Arsenal signing Sanogo scores for Auxerre in final game
