By: E&P Staff Three former Hollinger International executives accused along with Conrad Black of fraud in the alleged looting of the newspaper publishing company are asking for separate trials.
In filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the former executives -- John "Jack" Boultbee, Mark Kipnis and Peter Atkinson, -- argue that their trials will be tainted by evidence that pertains only to Black, the former chairman of the company now known as Sun-Times Media Group. The four, plus the Toronto-based holding company Ravelston Corp. are accused of looting Hollinger International of some $80 million in improper fees and insider deals.
"As a Canadian accountant on trial in Chicago for looting a Chicago-based public company, Boultbee has enough to worry about in the way of potential unfairness without also having to worry about the prejudicial effect of the inflammatory evidence likely to be offered against Black," the lawyers of Boultbee, the company's former chief financial officer, argue in their filing. The court filings were first reported Tuesday in a Globe and Mail article by reporter Paul Waldie.
Another defendant, former general counsel Kipnis, argues that Black would in effect be another prosecutor in the courtroom, because Black intends to blame others in the company for any wrongdoing.
In arguing for separate trials, Boultbee and Kipnis say Black faces more serious charges also argue that Black faces more serious charges, such as racketeering and money laundering, and that it would be hard for a jury to differentiate the charges among defendants.
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