<---CHICAGO – A co-defendant’s request to have Conrad Black’s fraud trial declared a mistrial was swiftly rejected Monday morning as proceedings resumed in a Chicago courthouse.
Judge Amy St. Eve denied the motion by Gus Newman, a lawyer for former Black associate John Boultbee, as well as a request that Boultbee be tried separately from the former media magnate.Newman had argued that questions from the lawyer of another co-defendant – Peter Atkinson – would result in testimony prejudicial to his client.
Atkinson’s lawyer, Michael Schachter, continued his cross-examination of former Hollinger
International finance executive Fred Creasey, attempting to show that Hollinger International’s auditors and directors approved “non-compete” payments that went to the former executives.The payments are central to prosecution allegations that Black and four other former Hollinger International executives pocketed about $60 million that should have gone to the company’s shareholders.
Former Hollinger International president David Radler has pleaded guilty in return for a lenient jail sentence of 29 months and is the prosecution’s star witness against Black.
Prosecutors were expected Monday to play a video deposition by Darren Sukonick, a lawyer with Toronto-based law firm Torys LLP.
Also slated to testify this week are lawyer Gulliaume Hecketsweiler, William (Bud) Rogers and Paul Saunders, who was Henry Kissinger’s lawyer.
The former U.S. Secretary of State was a member of the Hollinger International board. More on the story.
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