HOUSTON, April 10 (UPI) -- Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling told jurors in Houston that he is "absolutely innocent" as he testified Monday in his defense.
Skilling blamed the news media and voracious investors for the company's collapse, The Chicago Tribune reported.
"Enron was the finest corporation in the world," Skilling said. "We were making the world better."
Skilling and Enron co-founder Kenneth Lay face years in federal prison if they are convicted of defrauding investors. Lay is also expected to testify.
In his testimony, Skilling maintained that most of the former Enron employees who testified for the prosecution were innocent of wrongdoing and pleaded guilty because of government pressure. The defense argues that former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andy Fastow, the star prosecution witness, headed a rogue operation within the company.
