The first week of a long-running defamation trial is wrapping up, with evidence presented about meetings involving allegations tied to toxic soil. Multiple outlets report that a staffer testifies she was told not to take notes during an “unorthodox” meeting. The meeting is described as involving matters connected to toxic soil and includes participants linked to the broader dispute.
The trial, described as more than seven years in the making, has brought together politicians, journalists and a Perth property developer. During the week, the court hears accounts of what was said and how discussions were conducted, including the staffer’s claim about being instructed against taking notes. The reporting indicates that the staffer’s testimony is part of the efforts to establish the context of communications at the center of the defamation allegations.
As the case continues, the focus remains on contested statements and the circumstances in which they were discussed, with the “unorthodox” meeting and the instruction not to record notes presented as key pieces of evidence in the proceedings so far.
