<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Criminal charges against Richard Boyle, who blew the whistle on aggressive tax collection practices, have been dropped but advocates want the prosecution ended.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Commonwealth prosecutor today dropped five charges including three counts of attempting to disclose protected information and two counts of attempting to divulge or communicate a tax file number.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But three other charges of attempting to disclose protected information remain.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-update-us-president-threatens-retaliatory-european-wine-tariff-after-eu-whiskey-proposal/a4a5f94a-33f3-4ebe-baa0-9a54ea126383" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump's trade war hits bourbon and bubbly hard</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tosca Lloyd from the Whistleblower Justice Fund called for all charges to be dropped.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While it's good news that the prosecutions are not proceeding with five counts against Richard Boyle, the latest development only demonstrates the absurdity of the whole saga," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Whistleblowers should be protected not prosecuted. This prosecution damages Australia's democracy and today's development is a stark reminder of that."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/five-charges-dropped-against-tax-office-whistleblower/202ecf68-8f1a-4dea-b847-c00b542428f2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/columbine-school-shooting-victim-anne-marie-hochhalter-death-ruled-a-homicide-result-from-shooting/cd5a8a9d-2021-4e00-86f7-3209d48deb9e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Columbine death toll rises after survivor dies 26 years later</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Boyle was at one stage charged with 24 offences that included allegedly making illegal recordings of conversations and copies of sensitive information before he blew the whistle on unethical debt recovery practices in the Australian Tax Office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 49-year-old faced decades behind bars if convicted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His lawyers had entered negotiations with prosecutors in December, hoping to strike a plea deal and avoid jail time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-trade-war-wall-street-continues-to-spiral-stocks-fall/060c0478-9d47-4146-8d39-6902fff878ea" target="_blank"><strong><span>Wall Street spirals after Trump escalates his trade war</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a February social media post, Boyle said he withdrew instructions for his legal team to negotiate a plea deal with the Commonwealth.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said he "cannot in good conscience" continue negotiations while prosecutors pursued charges in light of some of the evidence heard in court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A number of the charges Boyle mentioned in the post were the ones dropped on Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Talks continue ahead of the next court hearing set for May after the judge encouraged dialogue between the parties.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A trial is set for November 2025.</span></div></div>