Charges dismissed against former Livent exec

All charges against Robert Topol, the former chief operating officer of the once high-flying theatre company Livent, have been thrown out because the prosecution took too long to bring the case to trial.

Topol had been facing 13 counts of fraud —accused along with Livent co-founders Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieband one other former Livent executive.

"I am gratified, it's taken a long time, almost nine years, but justice has been served," Topol said after court Friday.

Livent had once been anentertainment colossus — producing many of the top theatre shows like Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime,and Show Boat. It won 19 Tony awards.

Liventowned theatres in Toronto, New York, Chicago and Vancouver. But in 1998, allegations of "accounting irregularities" surfaced.Livent's stock plunged and the investigations began.

The RCMP laidcriminal fraudcharges back in 2002. The Mounties allegedthat Livent's top brass had defrauded creditors and private and public investors of about $500 million by falsifying corporate statementsand misrepresenting the firm's financial health.

Topol's lawyer argued that provincial prosecutors had mishandled his case and violated his rights. Justice Ian Nordheimer agreed and tossed out all the charges against Topol.

Justice Nordheimer said the Attorney General'sOffice caused years of delays in getting the case to the trial stage, in part becauseit hadaccommodated the busy trial schedule of Garth Drabinsky's lawyer, Eddie Greenspan.

Greenspan has had many high-profile clients over the years. He's currently defendingConrad Black against fraud charges in Chicago.

Topol still faces the prospect of civil lawsuits. But the possibility of a criminal conviction and jail time have left the stage.