A Commonwealth financial deception charge relating to the Australian Taxation Office against former livestock agent Nathan Gibbon was withdrawn in the County Court yesterday.
Stanley Widdison appeared via video link for the Commonwealth and gave notice of "discontinuance" to Judicial Registrar Phillips in relation to the charge against Mr Gibbon.
Mr Gibbon, 50, of Lardner, previously entered a not guilty plea to the Commonwealth charge of allegedly conspiring to cause a loss to the Australian Taxation Office to the value of $272,360.
Mr Gibbon did not appear in court yesterday because he was having "technical difficulties."
Co-accused Adam McMahon of Balwyn North, who also pleaded not guilty to a Commonwealth charge of dishonestly causing a loss to the ATO of $272,360, appeared via video link. The matter against Mr McMahon also was discontinued.
Mr Gibbon will now face County Court on June 24 for two charges relating to livestock fraud to the value of almost $235,000 which he indicated a plea of guilty in November last year during a committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
He was charged by the Financial Crime Squad in 2023 following an investigation into export consignments of livestock in 2018 and 2019.
Mr Gibbon pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception. The two charges relate to incidents between December 2018 and September 2019, involving a total of 210 cattle that were sold using false documents and funds credited to Nathan Gibbon Livestock.