Qld: Ekka boss to face trial for taking secret payments

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2000
Qld: Ekka boss to face trial for taking secret payments

BRISBANE, Aug 10 AAP - Former Brisbane show president Sir Walter Burnett was today
committed to stand trial on 19 corruption charges.

Burnett, 79, of Maleny, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, faced 23 counts of taking
payments from six show site holders between December 31, 1990 and July 19, 1998.

The kickbacks from showmen allegedly included free trips within Australia and overseas,
cash for two new cars and new carpet for a whole house in return for preferential treatment
in allocating hotly contested lucrative sideshow alley sites.

A Brisbane magistrate dismissed four of the charges but ordered Burnett to stand trial
on 19 charges.

Burnett, who was not required to plead, was bailed to appear in the Brisbane District
Court on October 16.

Burnett, who is a retired pharmacist, held the honorary position of president of the
Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association from 1983 until 1997 and he continued
to sit on the association's committee as past-president in 1998.

The association, known as the RNA, stages the Brisbane Exhibition every August and
ironically, yesterday was the show's opening day.

AAP smk/sc/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: BURNETT TRIAL

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