ON 21
December 2006 the Herald Sun published an article entitled ''Prison cut
for drug gang''. The article concerned an appeal from the criminal
trial of five men, including Mr Paul Pratico.
The
article reported that Mr Pratico claimed alleged drug lord Tony Mokbel
forced him at gunpoint to import cannabis and that he was one of
Mokbel's pawns.
It was never part of Mr
Pratico's defence that he did anything at gunpoint or under the duress
of another person, or that he had ever known Mr Mokbel or was one of
his pawns.