Chapter 267 Going to Court 5: Fierce Counterattack
"Your Honor, the private payment for purchasing land has no relevance to this case. I object to the defense attorney's attempt to extend the inquiry," Fergus said, rising to address the judge.
Just as the judge was about to bring down the gavel in agreement, Alaric spoke up, "May I ask the prosecutor why, if both involve public contracts and both incur $800 thousand in taxes, my client didn't just sign directly with Wyatt? Why would he go through the trouble of creating another contract that would break the law? Does the prosecutor believe my client suddenly lost his mind?"
Fergus, caught off guard by Alaric's retort, was momentarily at a loss for words. He was the top lawyer in Serenovia City with an impressive track record. Being outmaneuvered by a rookie like Alaric was both surprising and humbling.
Regaining his composure, Fergus countered, "On what grounds do you claim that the amounts in these three contracts were specifically used for the $20 million private land payment? As far as I know, companies frequently use fictitious contracts. It's common for Lockhart Group to create such contracts to liquidate cash for transactions that legitimate contracts can't cover."
"I have evidence," Alaric said, unfazed by Fergus' challenge. He produced a document. "The prosecutor mentioned that the $20 million private payment was made in five installments on March 3, May 12, June 18, July 5, and September 20 last year, to accounts belonging to several private employees of Lockhart Group. Interestingly, the three contracts signed by Charles show that the amounts Everlast Construction Materials paid match the dates and accounts used for these payments. Specifically, the payments were made on February 24, June 8, and July 1. So, from a legal standpoint, do you consider this financial and temporal alignment merely coincidental?"
Fergus' face hardened.
The law demanded facts and objective patterns, and it was clear that Alaric's points were not just coincidental.
Even as Fergus tried to remain calm, he struggled to find a counter-argument against Alaric's claims.
"Your Honor, do you consider this a coincidence?" Alaric turned to the judge.
The judge, striving for fairness, responded solemnly, "Based on the defense's argument, it cannot be dismissed as a mere coincidence."
"So, can I interpret that these contract payments were made to Wyatt?" Alaric pressed on.
"Temporarily, you can make that assumption," the judge conceded.
"Given this, could the prosecutor explain why, when dealing with public contracts, Theodore didn't opt for a straightforward deal with Wyatt? Why go through another company and create unnecessary complications? Is there some reason my client suddenly decided to make things more difficult? Did he has a screw loose?" Alaric challenged Fergus, his tone sharp.
Cecilia sat in the gallery, feeling exasperated.
She thought, 'Your dad's the one having a screw loose!
She couldn't believe how unprofessional the words Alaric was using.
Clearly, Fergus was caught off guard by Alaric's questioning. For once, it was Fergus who seemed to be on the defensive, a stark reversal of their usual courtroom roles.
"I can't read your client's mind!" Fergus snapped, his face a picture of frustration.
"Oh, I know," Alaric said with a confident smile. There was a hint of showmanship in his demeanor, as if he was deliberately trying to make Fergus look less competent in comparison.
Fergus was clearly seething.
"Because this matter has nothing to do with my client!" Alaric stated firmly.
"Are you seriously suggesting that you can dismiss your client's involvement in this case based on a mere assumption? It's as if you're treating this courtroom like a playground…"
"Please, let me finish presenting my point and evidence without interruption," Alaric said, his tone dripping with feigned humility, "I might not have your level of skill, but if you keep interrupting me, I might lose track of what I'm saying. I'd appreciate your understanding."
Alaric's words were laced with thinly veiled sarcasm, subtly mocking Fergus' tendency to bully fellow attorneys due to his reputation. Fergus' standing in the legal community was, in reality, rather poor.
Fergus ground his teeth and, with a cold expression, retook his seat.
Alaric shot a sidelong glance at Fergus before his velvety voice resumed its dominance in the courtroom. "This case of tax evasion and bribery is actually a meticulously orchestrated commercial scam. The shareholder Charles of Lockhart Group wanted to enrich himself through the company, and so he turned to William.
"Initially, Lockhart Group did indeed intend to buy Flower Beach International to develop a high-end residential area. They were negotiating with Wyatt, but the $45 million asking price seemed too steep for my client. So he decided not to proceed with the purchase. Charles, in a bid to push the deal through, falsely claimed that they had agreed on a price of $25 million, prompting my client to rush into the deal.
"Then, Charles, exploiting his contract approval authority, signed three fictitious contracts with Everlast Construction Materials, a company he had a good relationship with. His aim was to funnel $20 million out of the Lockhart Group to pay for the under-the-table deal with Wyatt. After all, if the payment wasn't made and Wyatt made a fuss, Charles would be exposed immediately.
"In the end, Charles instructed William to bid for the contractor position of Flower Beach International. Through rigged bidding, William was awarded the contract. After winning the bid, the Lockhart Group transferred a construction fee of $150 million to William. Once William received the money, he kept the portion he had negotiated for himself and forwarded the remaining $90 million to Charles.
"In summary. This is the truth behind the case."
"Words are cheap. What evidence do you have to prove that this was a scam between William and Charles?"
"I have the bank transaction records between William and Charles," Alaric replied, "Although the money passed through multiple accounts, ultimately, all the funds William transferred ended up in Charles's wallet!" Alaric presented the list to the jury with respect.
The jury took it and began to review it.
"Your Honor," Fergus interjected impatiently, "I believe the defense lawyer's argument is full of holes. I have some points I wish to address."
"Permission granted," the judge responded promptly.
Fergus turned to Alaric and said, "Your reasoning has no reference value! Firstly, what is the relationship between the witnesses William and Charles? Why would William help Charles, and why would Charles trust William? Secondly, William has no grudge against the defendant. Why would he increase his own criminal liability to frame the defendant? If he hadn't reported the defendant, he could be living a carefree life now. Lastly, the law of the Yakurosean Empire requires both eyewitness testimony and physical evidence. What you have shown us so far is only physical evidence and your logical reasoning, which cannot be used as a valid basis for legal sentencing."
The judge was about to strike the gavel in agreement.
Alaric immediately spoke up, "May I ask the prosecutor, given that both involve public contracts and both would generate $800,000 in taxes, why wouldn't my client just sign a contract directly with Wyatt? Why go through the trouble of another contract and break the law? Does the prosecutor think my client suddenly lost his mind?"
Fergus was momentarily speechless, confronted by Alaric.
He had handled countless cases and was the most famous and expensive lawyer in Serenovia City. Yet, at this moment, he was rendered silent by Alaric, a lawyer who had never handled a case before.
Fergus calmed himself and retorted, "What makes you say that the amounts in these three contracts were used for the private $20 million payment for the land? As far as I know, it's common for companies to have virtual contracts. Isn't it normal for the Lockhart Group to use a few virtual contracts to liquidate cash for other legitimate transactions?"
"I have evidence." Alaric's confidence was undeterred by Fergus's aura. He pulled out a document, "Just now, the prosecutor mentioned that the $20 million private transaction was made through five payments on March 3, May 12, June 18, July 5, and September 20 of last year, and provided the accounts used, which were private accounts of several Lockhart Group employees. Coincidentally, the amounts in the three contracts signed by Charles were paid by Everlast Construction Materials into these accounts on February 24, June 8, and July 1. So, does the prosecutor think that such a match in amounts and dates is just a coincidence from a legal perspective?"
Fergus's eyes narrowed.
The law sought for facts and objective regularity. Such an obvious match couldn't be dismissed as a coincidence.
At this moment, even though Fergus tried to stay calm, he couldn't find a reason to refute Alaric.
"Your Honor, do you think it's a coincidence?" Alaric turned to the judge.
The judge, needing to be fair, said sternly, "Based on the defense attorney's explanation, it cannot be considered a coincidence."
"So, can I understand that the amounts in these three contracts were paid to Wyatt?"Alaric asked
"That can be assumed for now," the judge left some room for doubt.
"In that case, can the prosecutor explain why Theodore wouldn't just use a legitimate contract with Wyatt and instead go through another company, digging a hole for himself? Did Theodoresuddenly fall ill?" Alaric questioned Fergus.
Cecilia, sitting in the audience, was speechless.
She thought,'Your dad is the one who's ill!
Can Alaric's statement be a bit more serious?'
Clearly, at this moment in the courtroom, Fergus was stumped by Alaric.
It's always been him who's pushed the other lawyers in the courtroom to shit their pants, how come he's been pushed by someone else to this point.
"How would I know your client's thoughts!" Fergus's face was extremely unpleasant.
"I know," Alaric said confidently.
It seemed he had been deliberately creating suspense to highlight his intelligence through Fergus.
Fergus was so angry, he was grinding his teeth.
"Because this matter has nothing to do with my client!" Alaric said firmly.
"You base your conclusion on a mere assumption, treating the court like a child's play..."Fergus said.
"When I'm presenting my argument and evidence, please don't interrupt me, prosecutor. I don't have your ability; if you interrupt me, I might lose my traceof thought. Please understand." Alaric's words seemed humble.
In reality, it was a jab at Fergus for using his position in the legal profession to suppress his colleagues.
In the legal profession, Fergus's reputation was notoriously bad.
Fergus gritted his teeth and sat back down with a cold expression.
It seemed he didn't want to stoop to Alaric's level.
Alaric glanced at Fergus, and his magnetic voice echoed in the courtroom again, "This case of tax evasion and bribery is actually a premeditated business scam. Charles, a shareholder of the Lockhart Group, wanted to make a personal profit through the Lockhart Group and found William.
First, the Lockhart Group indeed had plans to purchase Flower Beach to develop high-end housing, so they had been negotiating with Wyatt. However, Wyatt's asking price of $45 million was considered too high by my client, who decided not to buy it for the time being. To facilitate the transaction, Charles lied, saying the final price was $25 million, prompting my client to sign the deal immediately.
Next, Charles used his contract approval authority to sign three virtual contracts with Everlast Construction Materials, with whom he had a good relationship. The purpose was to extract $20 million from the Lockhart Group to pay for the private transaction with Wyatt. After all, if the payment wasn't made, Wyatt would cause trouble, and Charles would be exposed.
Finally, Charles instructed William to bid for the Flower Beach project. Through under-the-table operations, William won the bid. After winning, the Lockhart Group's $150 million construction fee was paid to William. After keeping his agreed share, William transferred the remaining $90 million to Charles."
Alaric said, "In summary, this is the truth of the case."
"Words alone are not enough. Do you have any evidence to prove that this was a scheme between William and Charles?"Fergus asked.
"I have the bank transaction records between William and Charles. Although the money went through many accounts, it ultimately ended up in Charles's wallet!" Alaric pulled out the list and respectfully handed it to the jury.
The jury took it and began to examine it.
"Your Honor, I believe the defense attorney's argument is full of holes. I have some points to state" Fergus couldn't hold back any longer.
"Permission granted," the judge agreed immediately.
Fergus said to Alaric, "Your reasoning has no reference value! First, what is the relationship between William and Charles? Why would William help Charles, and why would Charles trust William? Second, William has no grudge against the defendant. Why would he increase his own sentence to frame the defendant? If he didn't report the defendant, he could be living freely now. Lastly, the law in the Yakurosean Empirerequires both testimonial and physical evidence. What you've shown us so far are just physical evidence and your logical reasoning, which cannot serve as a valid basis for a legal conviction."
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