(15 Jul 2006)
AP TELEVISION
1. Wide of courthouse
2. Medium of courthouse
++MANDATORY COURTESY PAT LOPEZ++
3. Various sketches of three defendants Gary Mulgrew, Giles Darby, and David Bermingham (left to right)
4. Sketch of judge
5. Sketch of Darby and Bermingham
AP TELEVISION
6. Defendants walking out , David Bermingham (first), Giles Darby (pink shirt), Gary Mulgrew (wearing rucksack)
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Dan Cogdell, Birmingham's attorney:
"These gentlemen have been treated extremely well by law enforcement; the marshalls have extended every courtesy and every professionalism to us. We are glad to be out, we will come back on Friday and we look forward to further release on Friday. And that is it."
8. Bermingham walking to car past photographers
9. Car leaving
STORYLINE:
Three British bankers who were extradited to the US state of Texas to face charges in the Enron scandal pleaded not guilty on Friday, but a judge delayed a decision on setting bond that could allow them to return to England to await trial.
US Magistrate Stephen Smith said a decision on bond would be delayed until after a July 21 hearing for David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby.
All three are charged with seven counts of wire fraud for allegedly colluding with former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow in a secret financial scam in 2000 to enrich themselves at their employers' expense.
Their indictment alleges that they siphoned 7.3 (m) million US dollars while Fastow and others skimmed 12.3 (m) million US dollars from the scheme.
The three men each face a maximum of 35 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Smith set the trial date for 11 September, noting that initial trial dates often get postponed.
All three defendants were released on Friday pending the July 21 bond hearing, Bermingham and Darby on a 100-thousand US dollar bond, and Mulgrew on 20-thousand US dollars.
The men all declined comment as they passed a crowd of British and American photographers and drove away.
The three former executives at Greenwich NatWest, a unit of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, became notorious in Britain and their case sparked a debate over the fairness of an extradition treaty between the US and Britain.
The trio has fought extradition since their April 2004 arrest in London.
Dan Cogdell, Birmingham's attorney and the only lawyer from Houston on the defence team, will have responsibility for the three for the week before the hearing.
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