Former Enron CEO freed after 12 years

Houston: Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling has been released from a federal custody after spending 12 years in prison for his role in masterminding one of the most notorious corporate frauds in history, the Bureau of Prisons has said. Skilling, 65, was released after serving 12 years in prison and six months in a halfway house after being convicted for his actions that led to one of the worst corporate meltdowns in history. He was convicted of 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors in connection with the collapse of the Houston-based energy giant. The company collapsed into bankruptcy in 2001 under the weight of years of illicit business deals and accounting tricks. PTI