Conrad Black says his confidence that the U.S. government has no case against him remains unshaken and he does not understand "what any of us are doing here," facing charges of fraud and racketeering.
"I've always said they had no case and nothing has changed," Black told the Canadian Press on Monday as he headed into a Chicago court with his daughter, Alana Black, for the beginning of his trial's fifth week.
Black cautioned against taking his opponents "too seriously," saying their attempts to show any wrongdoing by him or his co-defendants — all former executives of his former newspaper company Hollinger International — have thus far failed.
"They tried to shock the jury with Bora Bora.
The company ended up making money off Bora Bora," he said, referring to a holiday Black and his wife took to the South Pacific island on a corporate jet that prosecutors have alleged was an improper use of company funds.
Attempts to show that Black and the others had paid themselves non-compete fees from the sale of newspapers that were not approved — and that they concealed management fees to avoid a tax hit — also failed, Black said.
He said testimony by Toronto lawyer Darren Sukonick last week revealed it was his law firm, Torys LLP, who suggested the move.
"So what are we doing here?" Black asked. "What are any of us doing here?
"
The trial was to hear more testimony from Sukonick on Monday. The lawyer has testified about tens of millions of dollars in non-compete payments, which prosecutors allege Black and three other executives used to illegally funnel money away from Hollinger International.
Jurors have appeared to have trouble following the technical testimony — delivered in hours of pre-recorded video — at certain points last week.
Observers say prosecutors need to get back to broader themes or run a real risk of losing the jury in the details.
Sukonick was one of a number of lawyers who advised Hollinger International in the sale of major Canadian newspapers to CanWest Global Communication Corp. for $3.
2 billion in late 2000.
His boss, Beth DeMerchant, is also slated to testify this week. But before prosecutors play her videotaped testimony, two other lawyers — Cravath, Swaine Moore LLP partners William (Bud) Rogers of London, England, and Paul Saunders of New York — will take the stand.
Prosecutors allege that Black, his former top executive David Radler, former Hollinger vice-president Peter Atkinson, former chief financial officer John Boultbee and legal executive Mark Kipnis pocketed about $60 million US in the non-compete fees.
In addition to his alleged involvement in the redirection of so-called non-compete payments, Black, 62, is also accused of misusing about $20 million in company funds for personal expenses, including the vacation to Bora Bora.
S. eastern seaboard.
ET).
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