Johnny Depp Perjury Charges Possible In Australia

Johnny Depp could be charged with perjury in connection with the dog smuggling incident, Australian authorities have warned.

In general, perjury is defined as lying under oath about a material fact.

Back in May 2015, Depp accompanied by ex-wife Amber Heard flew into Australia by private jet to film the next installment of The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Included in his entourage were two teacup Yorkies, the importation of which was a violation of the country’s quarantine laws unless they were formally declared at Australian customs.

Depp reportedly blamed the incident on a paperwork snafu or misunderstanding by his staff, and that he thought that they had taken care of all the necessary legal details. The dogs had to be flown home to the U.S., however, otherwise they would have been put down by Australian authorities.

Herd, but not Depp, was charged in the incident, and she wound up paying a $760 fine in April 2016 after pleading guilty to falsifying immigration documents, thereby avoiding the possibility of serious jail time and a large financial penalty. The couple also cut a somewhat cringeworthy PSA as an apology.

The actor, 54, is in the middle of a lawsuit with his former management company TMG over how his fortune was handled or mishandled. According to People, TMG claims in legal papers that Depp was allegedly aware that he was bringing the dogs into Australia illegally and pretended otherwise and that he put pressure on an employee to “take the fall.”

After that information surfaced, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce suggested that officials could revisit the Depp dog smuggling case, the BBC reported.

“If the allegation is correct, there’s a word for that — it is called perjury. We’re an island continent, and we take biosecurity very seriously, and it doesn’t matter if you think that you’re Mr Who’s Who of Hollywood, you’re going to obey our laws.”

It’s a technical question as to whether Australia has or can obtain jurisdiction over Johnny Depp, however, for any further court proceedings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgGfj0H69yk

Johnny Depp got himself into another controversy on June 22 during the Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. when he “joked” about an assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Depp subsequently issued a statement expressing remorse.

“I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone.”

Many are calling for Disney to fire Johnny Depp from the Pirates franchise for his anti-Trump remarks, however.

Do you think that Australia could or will make Captain Jack Sparrow, a.k.a. Johnny Depp, walk the plank for alleged perjury?

[Featured Image by KGC-138/STAR MAX/IPx via AP Images]