- The prosecution's star witness in the trial of American
lifestyle guru Martha Stewart has admitted taking drugs while working at
brokerage Merrill Lynch.
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- Giving evidence for a second day, Douglas Faneuil said
he had used marijuana, Ecstasy and other narcotics.
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- Ms Stewart is accused of selling shares following illegal
tip-offs and her defence team want to raise questions about the reliability
of the witness.
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- The judge said she would rule later on whether the evidence
was admissible.
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- Phone Calls
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- Mr Faneuil, a 28-year-old former assistant at Merrill
Lynch, later said he called Ms Stewart to tell her that the founder of
ImClone, Mr Sam Waksal, and his family were dumping their shares.
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- On hearing the news, Ms Stewart is supposed to have answered:
"I want to sell all my shares".
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- Mr Faneuil alleged on Tuesday that his boss and Ms Stewart's
broker Peter Bacanovic told him to make the call.
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- Mr Bacanovic also is charged in connection with the case,
which centres on the sale of almost 4,000 shares in December 2001.
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- Both he and Ms Stewart have been charged with obstruction
of justice and making false statements over the sale.
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- Martha Stewart, 62, is a household name in the United
States, who offered homespun advice on lifestyle through her books, magazines
and multimedia offerings.
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- She faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and
fines of $2m if she is found guilty.
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3460701.stm
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