Nine men and women stood bail totalling £114,000 to
guarantee that Julian Assange (the wikileak
man) who is wanted by Sweden on rape charges would not run away. Assange, if you forgive the pun, screwed his friends, ran away, and is now hiding inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Tail between their legs, the
guarantors asked the court to allow them to keep the money.
They must have felt very grand when they signed bail. They
must have enjoyed applause at dinner parties at which they will have explained
how important it was to keep Julian Assange free from Swedish justice.
Why the hell should they not pay up? Standing bail for
someone or something you believe in is honourable and admirable but it is only
honourable if you are willing to pay up. Otherwise, you are no more than a
loudmouth.
The court showed compassion because of the hardship paying
in full would cause some of the guarantors and reduced the amount to £93,500.
