VCAT notified Racing Victoria today that Robert Smerdon and Stuart Webb have appealed against both their guilty verdicts and the penalties imposed by the RAD Board as part of the Aquanita Case.
Smerdon was of course disqualified for life and fined $90,000, while Webb was disqualified for four years.
In a strange twist Racing Victoria were only notified today (June 16) by VCAT that Smerdon and Webb had appealed when the appeals were actually lodged on 7 June 2018.
Racing Victoria have released a media statement regarding the appeals of Smerdon and Webb as well as Tony Vasil and Liam Birchley who have already lodged their appeals..
“RV accepts that it is the right of any person to exercise their right of appeal to VCAT as Mr Smerdon, Mr Webb, Tony Vasil and Liam Birchley have done in the Aquanita Case.”
“The integrity of Victorian racing is critical to its ongoing success and the confidence of customers and participants to invest in the sport. RV will again vigorously prosecute the charges laid against each of the four disqualified persons when their appeals are heard on a date to be fixed. Until such time, RV is not in a position to comment any further on the appeals.