Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories
Posted on May 29, 2007 by Douglas Bell
In the lull between the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end, coverage today is notable only for a headline webbed in the Globe: “Black Trial Entering Final Weeks.” It seems like only yesterday that journalists, fearful the proceedings could drag into August, were begging for death’s sweet release. Now, with the end in sight, we discover that lawyers for Black et al. are planning closing arguments weighing in at a lousy four hours each, and the prosecution intends to sum up its case in a rapier-quick eight hours. This morning, a defence lawyer named Marc Martin was scheduled to cross-examine former 10 Toronto Street security guard Lance Bloomfield on behalf of Lord Black. The law of averages alone dictates he’d have to be faster than either of the Eddies on that score. If things continue at this pace, we’ll all be home and dry in time for barbecue season at 26 Park Lane Circle. I’ve yet to receive my invitation, but I’m quite sure it’s in the mail.
Black trial sees video of box removal [Globe and Mail]
Prosecution expected to wrap up its fraud case against Conrad Black Tuesday [CBC]
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tom May 30, 2007 at 2:10 p.m.
As for misuse of company funds... breifly...
-Radler is a total liar. period.
-vacations on company jets were allowed for directors under company policy, provided the flight was flying in regional proximity in accoradance to an existing flight plan... all of Black's uses of company jets above and beyond business related trips fell into that catagory.
-the birthday party for his wife, coincided with a shareholders meeting, so party favors for one or the other occasion would be indeceiferable. beyond that Black paid for a large portion of the occasion out of his own pocket.
-the house in new york, was purchased with company money, as a wise investment, renovated on Black's dollar, thus accounting for an appreciation in value and sold for a price not including the added value for the improvements that he paid for himself. seems perfectly fair to me, and any moderate accounting difference can be settled out of court without all this theatrics, presuming there is any.
-the purchase of Franklin D. Roosevelt memerabilia using company money. big deal, sure it helped Black write a book on the figure, but it's also an asset that belongs to the company that I'm certain has appreciated in value since purchased. that issue can be resolved by selling off the items and paying back the company, again without this character assassinating media fanfare and baseless trial.
....not guilty.
Donna May 31, 2007 at 8:05 a.m.
Tom -
New York coop - bought for 3 mil and sold 6 years later at cost - fraud; coop sold unrenovated to new owners 6 years later at going rate - 8.5 mil, renovated - 10 mil - Black cheated shareholders out of about 5 - 7 mil....fraud
Bora Bora trip / jet use - strictly personal as indicated on customs declaration - fraud
birthday party - not a scheduled meeting for anything, zip, nada - personal and no business transacted - fraud
FDR papers - already sold off at a loss of almost 6 muil - bought for 8 mil and sold for 2 mil - fraud but not included in charges
Radler is a liar, scum, you name it but smartly figured game was up and came clean; risked perjury if caught lying - ok by me
result? - GUILTY....yadda, yadda, yadda