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Acquittal ruling as judge says $167m raid was inside job

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A HIGH Court judge yesterday ruled that a businessman accused of taking part in the $167 million Kai Tak airport robbery should be acquitted.

Mr Justice Duffy said the armed raid, the world's biggest cash robbery, must have been an inside job.

Security guards had lied in court and the quality of evidence relating to the identification of the defendant was the worst he had ever seen, he said.

'The evidence, in my view, is of such a low quality I cannot allow it to go to the jury for their deliberation,' said the judge. 'I must direct the jury in this case to acquit the defendant.' The judge made his comments after hearing submissions from prosecution and defence barristers halfway through the trial. The jury was sent away while legal arguments were heard.

The judge said he would direct the jury to return a not guilty verdict on their return to court this morning.

The cash was stolen from a Guardforce van when it stopped outside the airport on July 12, 1992.

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