Packer did not conspire -judge

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 46

Packer did not conspire -judge

NZPA Sydney A Supreme Court judge yesterday ruled that an article in “The, Age," a Melbourne newspaper, was capable of bearing the imputation that the promoter, Kerry Packer, had conspired with the Australian and West Indies cricket teams to prearrange the result of a match in the “World Series.” The publishers", of “The Age,” David Syme and Co., lost an application to have the matter declared incapable of these imputations. Mr Justice Maxwell, in upholding a complaint by the West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd, described the - matter as a "test case” which paved the way for defamation action. He said any decision in the case of Mr Lloyd would in turn apply to each of the $0 plaintiffs — the entire Australian and West Indies cricket sides and Mr Packer. The plaintiffs alleged that the article, published on January 22 under the headling “Come on Dollar, Come On,” jmplied a conspiracy to defraud the public by, prearranging Australia’s defeat of. the' West Indies side on January 19. They also alleged that the. article suggested financial gain as the motive, with the imputation that the plaintiffs were prepared to prearrange future matches to the same end. ’