Crown 'clutching at straws' as government conspiracy trial nears end

Accused conspirators Abdul El-Debel and Raminder Kahlon outside the ACT courts building during their trial. Pictures: Toby Vue

A prosecution case accusing two men of conspiring with the intention to defraud the Finance Department is "clutching at straws" because the evidence about proceeds "is so tenuous" and "so unreliable" that a jury would have significant doubt, a defence lawyer has argued.

Department worker Abdul "Alex" Aziz El-Debel and IT consultant Raminder Singh Kahlon are accused of working with Gopalakrishnan Suryanarayanan Vilayur to influence or corrupt the department's IT procurement processes relating to contractual projects.