What disturbs me is that Justice in US is often bestowed with the idea that politicians and rich criminals are a special category to respect

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Pratt criminal case dropped Richard Pratt was facing charges of lying to the ACCC. (AAP: Julian Smith) Map: Melbourne 3000 Related Story: ACCC's Pratt investigation 'a travesty' Related Story: Pratt seeks ruling before he dies Federal prosecutors have discontinued their criminal case against terminally ill businessman Richard Pratt. Mr Pratt, 74, has been fighting prostate cancer and is currently resting at his Melbourne home. In 2007, Mr Pratt's company Visy was fined $36 million for price fixing with its rival Amcor, and Mr Pratt was facing criminal charges for allegedly lying on oath about the cartel. He was facing four counts of giving false or misleading evidence to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Prosecutor Mark Dean SC told the Federal Court in Melbourne today that it was not in the public interest to continue the case because Mr Pratt was terminally ill. But he said the prosecution still believed there was a reasonable prospect of conviction. However Mr Pratt's defence opposed the move, saying their client had never wanted to end the case on the grounds of his health. They called on prosecutors to instead dismiss the charges against their client. Outside court, Mr Pratt's lawyer, Leon Zwier, said the DPP's decision had vindicated his client. "This ruling will provide him comfort in his final hours," he said. "Richard Pratt must now be declared innocent of these charges." Mr Pratt has pleaded not guilty to the four criminal charges. Justice Donald Ryan today ruled key evidence in the case was inadmissible.