Ex-Wallabies captain breaks silence on international arrest warrant after newspaper interview ‘gave my location’
Ex-Wallabies flanker and captain Rocky Elsom.
Wallabies great Rocky Elsom has called the international arrest warrant issued to him as a “clear perversion of justice”.
The former flanker has protested his innocence after a warrant and five-year jail term was handed down by a French court.
It was issued following a Sunday Times interview which revealed his current location and where he would be.
According to the article, Elsom “was initially reluctant to be interviewed, as he didn’t want some old acquaintances to discover via the media that he was back in town.”
Forgery and misuse of corporate assets
The 41-year-old was found guilty of forgery, the use of forgery and the misuse of corporate assets during his time at French club Narbonne.
The court ordered him to pay back a total of AUS$1.13m while lawyer Patrick Tabet claimed that Elsom made a “completely unjustified” payment of AUS$128,000 to a former coach.
But Australia’s former captain has since hit back after he gave a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Not allowing me to defend the charges, is a clear perversion of justice,” Elsom told the Herald.
“I have little more information on the evidence that was presented in the hearing [other] than [what] is in the public domain. So, I can only address the allegations that have been raised publicly.
“I ask the public to consider the legitimacy of any process that does not allow for the involvement of the person being prosecuted.
“I have been contactable via my email address and phone number, yet it appears the court process was fast-tracked after an article appeared recently in The Sunday Times. This article gave my location, occupation and upcoming scheduled events.
“I have not been questioned in this matter and the lengthy process seems to have deliberately excluded me from giving evidence.
“In the interests of a fair and just process, I would ask Mr Tabet to send me a complete list of the documents and filings he used to secure the reported five-year prison sentence.”
Career
Elsom was considered one of the world’s best flankers during his career, which started off at the Waratahs before his form led to an international call-up.
The back-rower made his Test debut for the Wallabies in 2005 and he would represent the country at both the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups.
He also had a successful stint at Leinster during the 2008/09 season as the Irish province claimed their first Heineken Cup title.
After the World Cup in New Zealand, Elsom moved abroad and featured for Kobelco Steelers, Toulon and Narbonne.
He was part of a consortium that took over the French Pro D2 side, but his time ended in controversial circumstances in 2016 after being accused of financial mismanagement.