THE COURTS:

The Bug’s finance and investment columnist Morrie Bezzle (main picture) says he will fight charges brought against him under consumer protection laws for allegedly charging for computer security services which police say were “expensive but totally useless”.

Morrison Edison Ponzi Phar Lap Bezzle, age and address unknown, pleaded not guilty to a range of charges during a brief committal hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lewis Terry said the charges were laid after hundreds of complaints were received from people who had responded to online advertisements featuring Mr Bezzle.

“In the advertisements, which Mr Bezzle produced and aired himself, he claimed to be both an IT expert and entomologist, even though he is not qualified in either field,” Sergeant Terry said.

“In the advertisements he warned computer owners of the imminent risk posed ‘to their devices by what he claimed was ‘the Y2K+25 bug’.

“In short, Mr Bezzle attempted to scare computer owners by claiming a return of the Y2K bug at midnight on December 31 as the year changed to 2025.

“He did so by also presenting himself as an entomologist and said he had studied the Y2K bug which he claimed always hibernated for periods of 25 years before re-emerging ‘to wreak havoc’.

“The online advertisements also featured what Mr Bezzle claimed were disturbing close-up images of a Y2K bug taken by a high-powered microscope but which, after forensic analysis, police determined were blown-up photos of the left eyebrow of former prime minister John Howard.

“None of Mr Bezzle’s claims was true, yet he charged numerous innocent consumers hundreds of dollars each for his so-called  ‘IT repair services’ which consisted entirely of emailing trusting consumers a website link which when activated linked users to a highly specialised arachnid-themed porn site on the dark web tailored for people with a fetish for spiders,” Sergeant Terry said.

Presiding magistrate Madge E Strait granted bail and remanded Bezzle to appear again on a date to be fixed.

Outside the court Mr Bezzle (main picture) lashed out at authorities who had brought the charges against him.

“Once again I am an innocent victim of a conspiracy by crooked coppers and shiny-arsed bureaucrats who continue to smother brave entrepreneurs like me who are simply trying to stop our national, no global, economy grinding to a halt,” Mr Bezzle said.

“Don’t blame me when the whole show turns to shit and melts down at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.”

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