Vic: Billionaire Pratt gravely ill

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2009
Vic: Billionaire Pratt gravely ill

MELBOURNE, April 21 AAP - Billionaire packaging tycoon Richard Pratt, 74, is gravely ill.

Federal Victorian Labor MP Bill Shorten, a family friend, said he met with the Pratt
family on Monday night.

Without going into the reasons for Mr Pratt's illness, Mr Shorten told ABC Radio that
Mr Pratt was in a serious condition.

"I can explain, but I'm going to leave that for the family out of respect," Mr Shorten said.

"I think it's fair to say that Richard Pratt is currently held in very high respect
by many many people in Victoria and Australia, he employed thousands of people in good
jobs.

"And his family do great social work, not only in Australia but overseas."

Under further questioning about the nature of Mr Pratt's illness, Mr Shorten said "gravely
ill" was the only way he would describe it.

The controversies surrounding Mr Pratt in recent years had been tough, Mr Shorten said,
but he is a strong man.

"I can't claim to see into his mind and his morale at the moment and he is ill, and
he has and is a big contributor to public life."

Mr Pratt was an actor, businessman, involved heavily in the community and is worthy
of the nation's respect, Mr Shorten said.

As one of Australia's richest men and biggest philanthropist, Mr Pratt is worth more
than $5 billion.

He built up the Visy packaging company into an international empire, but came into
strife over alleged price fixing.

The Federal Court is deciding whether the evidence Mr Pratt gave in a 2007 civil case
can be used in a criminal trial against him.

He faces four charges of giving false or misleading evidence to the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission (ACCC) at a hearing in 2005.

At the time, he denied a conversation he allegedly had about price fixing with Amcor
chief executive Russell Jones at a hotel in Melbourne in 2001.

It is believed Mr Pratt has prostate cancer and is resting in his home in the wealthy
Melbourne suburb of Kew.

AAP kb/gfr/maur/bwl

KEYWORD: PRATT

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