Former-CEO Brian Joseph Locke - of Phoenix Mine Road - had been accused of stealing from the company he was employed to run 133 times, between 2009 and 2017.

The now-74-year-old was alleged to have withdrawn just under $2 million from Gold and Copper Resources Pty Ltd, primarily through a company credit card.

Prosecutors originally claimed Mr Locke used the funds to cover unrelated personal expenses, in transactions ranging between $59 and $107,620.

The case was widely reported in 2021, but all 133 charges were withdrawn at Orange Local Court on August 4, 2022.

READ ALSO:

No clear explanation for the decision was given publicly by Department of Public Prosecutions solicitor Isabella Wildsmith.

The decision means Locke is not convicted of a crime, and will serve no time behind bars. He is innocent of the allegations previously levelled against him.

Locke was not in court at the time, but his solicitor - appearing via audio-visual link - said he was pleased with the result.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: