OUTBURST AFTER DRUG ACQUITTAL

CONVICTED heroin dealer and Northbridge personality John Kizon
launched a scathing attack on police as he walked free from court
after being acquitted on a conspiracy charge late yesterday.

Mr Kizon branded the legal system a disgrace and even blamed police
for depriving sick children of desperately needed funds by wasting
more than $1 million watching him.

It took a jury less than a day to find Mr Kizon, 36, and his friend
Michael Francis Rippingale, 35, not guilty of one count each of
conspiring to possess more than 19kg of cannabis in 1994.

Storming out of the Supreme Court in Perth, Mr Kizon an entertainment
promoter criticised both the West Australian and federal police forces.

"There are still senior police officers within the federal police and
the police department in Western Australia that have a very . . .
sinister motive on targeting personalities," he said.

"The legal system is a disgrace. If you've got money you are a chance;
no money: no chance."

He also attacked police for a surveillance operation that cost more
than $1 million.

"In the morning, those poor kids at the children's hospital, they
still won't have the same facilities that they would have had if they
didn't spend nearly between a million and 2 million on me," he said.
"It's an absolute disgrace."