Fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir has stood in an Old Bailey dock, 17 years after he fled Britain.
Nadir was remanded on conditional bail to another hearing on October 15. His trial date was provisionally set for October 2011.
The court was told that the 66 fraud charges against him, alleging the theft of £34 million from his Polly Peck empire, may be reduced to 15 charges.
Prosecutors will now try to trace the original 183 witnesses who were due to give evidence at the trial he fled Britain to avoid.
Nadir, 69, was granted bail on July 30 on condition he return to the UK from the Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus which had no extradition agreement with Britain.
The hearing on Friday lasted an hour.
The court clerk asked him: "Are you Asil Nadir?" He replied: "Yes, I am."
The hearing was mainly concerned with timetable, preparation of the case and defence submissions.
Mr Justice Bean said the trial judge will be appointed later this year.
He set a date from October next year for a possible trial.
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