Offer To The CEO

Monday, continued…

Alister looked directly to James and then around the room, before saying "Mr Jones, you are quite blunt."

"I am still learning the language, but I know enough to understand what is happening. However, my sister is a lawyer, and I know all the games they play. Not do not beat around and tell us what the penalty is. It is Christmas and we want to be anywhere but here."

After talking a breath, Alister decided he had no option but go through everything. The last thing that he wanted to do was do this, but in the end, there was no option.

"The penalty he has agreed to is complicated, but in the end the National Prosecutors determined that there needed to be some measure of individual justice attached to the charges, as well as an overall penalty."

Realising that they were being messed around, Hou Yi snapped "Alister, we do not need to know the intricacies of what the situation is. I am guessing that there will be some jail time involved with the charges we are the victims, but what is the overall sentence? It is Christmas and we do not want to be here too long."

Alister had to pause and reorder his thoughts. In his mind he had worked out a speech to give to everyone and given that he was being cut off he had to quickly rethink. "In the end the overall penalties imposed are a fifty million fine, an amount of one hundred thousand per victim paid as compensation, a ban of five years once released from prison in acting as a company director but a complete ban from any role at Lu Corporation.  The final component is jail time."

"Overall the sentence is thirty-five years in prison. He must serve a minimum of seventeen years in prison before, and this is on the basis that he is of good behaviour, he can serve the next six years by way of home detention.  The remaining time is to be served in the community but on the proviso that if he is not of good behaviour, he will return to jail for the balance of the sentence."

"It was late afternoon, yesterday, when his team approached the National Prosecutors for a deal.  Normally the timing would not matter, but as the courts this time of year close for two weeks, as a result of the discussions the National Prosecutors contacted the presiding judge for guidance on a plea as to what would generally be acceptable, given Lu Jingho's team were pressing for only a sentence of home detention."

"Apparently, the Judge was blunt and said that a deal had to include at least seventeen years jail time and involved a minimum sentence of thirty-five years.  As part of indicating that, he told the prosecutors to make it clear that if he took the matter all the wat to the contested case and was convicted, he would receive a life sentence with no chance of release."

"My information was, less than an hour after that was relayed his legal team contact the National Prosecutors with the proposal but added a couple of provisos.  Firstly about the victims being here to sign off on the deal, not just their legal representatives and secondly that the jail sentence commences after Christmas to allow him to spend a Christmas with his baby granddaughters."

There was, a few seconds silence around the room, before Alecia spoke "You know, I actually feel if everyone is getting some justice with that sentence. While I would like to see him spend thirty-five years in jail, a deal means that I do not have to have the whole situation and my new life dragged through the legal system.  The other victims will have the same relief.  Regarding Christmas, that does not worry me, as this will be the only Christmas he can freely spend with the child while Christmas has its magic."

There was nods around the room, before Alister said "OK, so is everyone happy to sign the agreement?"

A chorus of yeses came around the room, and Alister handed a summary page with space for the necessary signatures. Once it was signed, he turned and said "The judge apparently will have the victims present in the largest court room and address everyone before going into the court room where Lu Jingho and confirming the sentence before releasing a summary of the verdict to the media. Just wait here and once we know when he wants to speak to the victims, I will come and get you to go into the court room."

Alister turned and left. Once the door was shut, Alecia quietly said "You know we have gotten a Christmas Miracle. I thought we would end up at a trial, but this result is one of the best Christmas presents any of us could receive. He will be out of our lives for years to come."