Conrad Black, the British peer who at the height of his power controlled one of the world’s biggest media empires, was on Friday night facing up to 35 years in jail after being convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice.
The Canada-born former publisher of the Telegraph titles in the UK and the Chicago Sun-Times, dressed in a beige linen suit and flanked by his wife Barbara Amiel Black and daughter Alana, sat stonefaced as the verdict was read out. He did not look at his daughter or wife, but passed a note to Lady Black, minutes after he learned of his fate. Lord Black later left the courthouse holding hands with his wife and daughter.
Although he was acquitted on nine of the 13 charges, including the most serious one of racketeering, Lord Black faces a prison sentence and forfeiture of most of his assets, including his home in Palm Beach, Florida, for his part in the theft of millions of dollars from Hollinger International, the company he built and controlled.
Prosecutors on Friday night suggested that he could expect between 15 and 20 years in jail when he is sentenced on November 30.
Edward Greenspan, Lord Black’s lawyer, said they would appeal, adding: “We vehemently disagree with [prosecution’s estimates for sentencing].”
Lord Black personally stole $2.9m from Hollinger and millions more were directed to the other defendants through a complex scheme in which they were paid “non-competition fees” following a sale of some of the company’s newspaper properties to another company Lord Black controlled.
In another instance, he siphoned hundreds of thousands of dollars from Hollinger in a sham transaction. Lord Black was acquitted of allegations that he stole tens of millions more – possibly because the audit committee signed off on the transactions.
The ruling was reached on the 12th day of deliberations. After the jury was excused during a break in the proceedings, Lady Black huddled around her husband with her step-daughter.
He faces a bail hearing on Thursday after Eric Sussman, chief prosecutor, argued that Lord Black was a flight risk who had a history of flouting the court’s orders.
Lord Black’s three co-defendants – Jack Boultbee, former Hollinger International chief financial officer; Peter Atkinson, former vice-president and general counsel; and Mark Kipnis, a former Hollinger lawyer – were all found guilty of the same mail fraud charges.
Patrick Fitzgerald, the US attorney for the Northern District of Illinois whose office prosecuted the case, said he was ”very satisifed” with the outcome.
He also denied that class had played a role in the jury’s verdict, pointing out that the jurors had acquitted Lord Black on accusations involving “corporate perks”, including his use of company’s corporate jet for a vacation to Bora Bora.
Rate this post
 |
As Israel marked a year since the beginning of the Second Lebanon War, family and friends of the reservists killed by a Katyusha rocket at Kibbutz Kfar Giladi gathered Monday morning at the site of the rocket hit to honor their memory. Mourners also gathered at the site where reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted by Hizbullah operatives in a cross-border raid, the event that sparked the 34-day conflict, and at the site in Haifa where rail workers were killed in another Katyusha rocket attack. Later, the first state ceremony for the country's most recent war was scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former defense minister Amir Peretz will be absent from the Mt. Herzl ceremony. The Prime Minister's Office said Olmert decided not to attend to spare those in attendance the rigorous security checks that the prime minister's presence would entail, Army Radio reported. Sources in Peretz's office said the former defense minister hadn't been invited. Bereaved families expressed their anger over the prime minister's absence. "I think he is incapable of looking us in the eye," Mirta Shinbrom, whose son Yaniv was killed only a few hours before the war ended, told Army Radio. "That is Olmert's problem - not security arrangements," Shinbrom added. "This is nonsense and excuses."
|
Rate this post
Shahar Pe'er.
Photo: AP [file]
Advertisement Shahar Pe'er crashed out of Wimbledon on Friday afternoon, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in the third round of the tournament. The 16th seeded Israeli never managed to find her rhythm against her good friend and was uncharacteristically outplayed by an inferiorly ranked player. Pe'er, who had defeated Bartoli (19) in all five of their previous meetings, hit 29 unforced errors, 17 more than the Frenchwoman. "I didn't play well and couldn't string together a good run of points," Pe'er said after the match. "I felt good before the match and my warm-up went well, but I didn't take my chances and made too many unforced errors." Pe'er began the match well, holding serve comfortably in the first game. However, a 30 minute rain break at 40-40 in the second game upset the Israeli's play and shifted the momentum in Bartoli's favor. The Frenchwoman held serve when play resumed, saving two break points in the game, and broke Pe'er in the following game to open a 2-1 lead. Bartoli remained in front throughout the remainder of the set and a second break of serve in the ninth game gave her a one set lead. The Frenchwoman held serve in the first game of the second set, saving four break points, much to the frustration of the Israeli. After both players held serve in the following two games, Bartoli recorded her third break of the match with an accurate backhand winner. After squandering eight break points, Pe'er broke to love in the subsequent game and closed to within one game (3-2). However, the Israeli couldn't tie the score, losing her serve in the sixth game after sending the ball wide once more. The Frenchwoman's fourth break of serve broke the Israeli's spirit and Bartoli quickly wrapped up the win with two more games. "I'm very disappointed with the defeat, but in sport and especially tennis you have good days and bad days. Unfortunately, Friday was a bad day," Pe'er said. "All in all I had a good singles tournament and felt much better on the grass. I'm taking part in the doubles tournament, so I've still go something to play for." Pe'er and Indian partner Sania Mirza, who are seeded 16th in the event, defeated Sofia Arvidsson and Lilia Osterloh 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the women's doubles tournament on Friday. The Israeli/Indian duo was due to face Agnes Szava and Vladimira Uhlirova in the second round on Saturday, but the English rain prevented the match from ever begining. Ram and Erlich suffer surprise defeat Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich failed to advance to the latter stages of a Grand Slam event for a seventh straight time on Friday, losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to Jamie Murray and Eric Butorac in the second round of Wimbledon. The Israelis, who have only advanced past the third round of a major once in their last 16 attempts, struggled on their opponents serve and only reached two break points throughout the match. Ram and Erlich, who were seeded seventh in the event, got off to a good start and seemed to be in control at the beginning of the match. The duo broke in the third game of the match and held serve comfortably to clinch the first set. Murray and Butorac perfectly timed their first break of the match, breaking in the 10th game of second set to tie the score at one set all. A single break of serve in the third and fourth sets was all Murray and Butorac needed to complete the victory and book their place in the third round. Harel Levy and Rajeev Ram's second round doubles match against 15th seeded Argentinians Martin Garcia and Sebastian Prieto was suspended due to rain on Saturday. The Israeli/American duo won the first set 7-6 (0), with the second set tied at 3-3 when the downpour began.
Rate this post
