Testimony ends in trial of Enron pair

Testimony ended today in the federal fraud and conspiracy trial of Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling after attorneys on both sides cut short their witness line-ups.

But a dozen hours of closing arguments in the premier criminal case to emerge from one of the biggest corporate scandals in US history remain scheduled to start May 15.

Jurors will get the rest of this week off while attorneys hone their final comments to the panel.

The defence teams expected to call five witnesses, but ditched two experts and rested their case today.

The government followed up with three rebuttal witnesses – also cut from last week’s estimate of up to 10 – ending testimony at least a day earlier than expected.

Deliberations are to begin May 17.

Both defendants testified as part of a 29-witness defence line-up.

The government called 22 witnesses in its main case, which rested March 28.