Polly Peck Tycoon Asil Nadir claimed he fled Britain because he had been left 'a broken man with no hope of a fair trial' after police launched an investigation into allegations he had bribed a judge. The revelation came to light as he took the stand for the first time in his long-running theft trial in which he is accused of plundering £150 million from his company.

1. POLLY PECK TYCOON ASIL NADIR
'ATTEMPTED TO BRIBE OLD BAILEY
JUDGE

2.  Polly Peck Tycoon Asil Nadir claimed he fled
Britain because he had been left 'a broken man
with no hope of a fair trial' after police launched
an investigation into allegations he had bribed a
judge.
 The revelation came to light as he took the stand
for the first time in his long-running theft trial in
which he is accused of plundering £150 million
from his company.
 Today it also emerged at the Old Bailey that
Turkey asked Margaret Thatcher and her
Conservative government to intervene to save
Nadir’s business empire as it crumbled around
him.
 Turkish president Turgut Ozal wrote to the then
PM expressing his concerns that the multinational
was being undermined by Greek Cypriots to
damage the northern Cypriot economy and
ultimately Turkey itself.
 In the letter sent on Mr Nadir’s behalf in
September 1990, the late President expressed
his concerns as Polly Peck employed thousands
of people in Turkey and Northern Cyprus.
 Poly Peck’s (PPI) collapse would hinder the
finding of a lasting solution to the Cyprus question
as both sides needed economies on a parity with
each other, the court heard.

3. Turkey had asked the Thatcher Government to intervene to
save Nadir's crumbling Polly Peck empire
Tycoon claims then Foreign Secretary gave an 'ultimatum'
demanding £100million in finance
He claims he was on the verge of saving the company with
a £70million cash injection when it was wound up
Nadir denies 13 specimen counts of theft amounting to
£34million between 1987 and 1990