A BATHURST harness racing trainer has been stood down pending further investigation into allegedly offering bribes to stewards.
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Peter Russo is one of four licensed trainers to be stood down from the sport and joins his uncle Paul Russo, John Beynon and Glenn Hayward in the action taken yesterday by Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW).
This follows the revelation by Harness Racing NSW manager of integrity Reid Sanders that former HRNSW trainer Michael Russo, Peter Russo’s brother, pleaded guilty in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney last Thursday to nine charges, including several involving horses that at the time of racing were registered to other trainers.
According to Mr Sanders, Michael Russo’s guilty plea followed charges being laid when he was initially arrested last November.
“They relate to benefits being paid to a steward so a horse wouldn’t be drug tested,” Mr Sanders said.
“Some of those charges which Michael pleaded guilty to relate to horses that were allegedly in the care of his brother Peter at the time who was their regular trainer.”
Mr Sanders told the Western Advocate this therefore makes Peter Russo a person of “heightened interest” in the ongoing investigations into the harness racing industry.
“That is why he has been stood down pending further investigations,” Mr Sanders said. “He is certainly now a person of considerable interest to us.
“It was the outcome of that court case and the guilty plea last Thursday that has now enabled us to take further action.”
Mr Sanders said the background to the investigations date back to August 2011.
“In the week commencing August 1, 2011, HRNSW become aware of allegations that one or more of its employed stewards had been involved in corrupt activity,” he said.
“This included accepting bribes from, inter alia, owners, trainers, licensed people, and unlicensed people, in exchange for assurances that particular horses would be excluded from drug testing in specific harness racing events (‘the allegations’).
“Pursuant to Section 9 of the Harness Racing Act 2009, HRNSW has a duty to ‘control, supervise and regulate harness racing in the state’.
“On August 8, 2011 HRNSW initiated an investigation into the allegations and this investigation is ongoing.”
Bathurst Harness Racing Club CEO Danny Dwyer was unavailable to comment yesterday.