Karlheinz Schreiber is a master at deception. He is willing to spin any story with contradictory twist and turns to serve his own needs. By dragging others like Brian Mulroney into his legal troubles he has managed to avoid facing the consequences of his own actions. He avoided being sent to Germany for almost 2 years to build a case against Mulroney. He even managed to be allowed out on bail and enjoy the hospitality Canada has to offer.
Sometimes it is better late than never. The 75 year old has finally been extradited to Germany. This time the courts are not granting bail as they consider him to be a flight risk. The German Authorities have waited a long time to get their hands on him. They will not let him off the hook so easily. He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Before he left, his lawyer Eddie Greenspan indicated that Schreiber plans on returning to Canada. He will either be cleared of the charges and return as a free man or will request spending the rest of his life in a Canadian jail cell.
Schreiber has manipulated the justice system for too long. It is time for justice to be served. He has already milked all he can out of Canada. Hopefully, German authorities will choose to keep him.
Showing posts with label Schreiber/Mulroney Scandal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schreiber/Mulroney Scandal. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Monday, January 14, 2008
Cat and mouse; the Schreiber games continues
The demand for a full public inquiry was seeded in the notion that if enough mud was kicked around some of it would stick. The Liberals and NDP were looking to connect the scandal to Stephen Harper and the 1983 Conservative Leadership Convention that brought Mulroney to power. The NDP wanted to take it further by connecting the scandal to the former Liberal government. This would not be a huge stretch considering most of the current scandal revolves around the actions of Mulroney after the Liberals took power.
Out of fear that Schreiber would be deported before a public inquiry the Parliament Ethics committee (one of only four chaired by the Liberals) decided to launch an investigation of their own. Their ability to control their investigation and remain focused on the interests of Canadians has been embarrassing.
On Friday, David Johnston submitted his report about the terms of reference for a public inquiry. He noted that the RCMP had examined the evidence and decided not to reopen their investigation. The purpose of a public inquiry is for fact finding. Considering there are more than 100,000 documents of evidence, there is very little new information that an inquiry could uncover. The questions that are still up in the air have been asked (or could still be handled) by the parliament ethics committee. Mulroney has already paid taxes on the money in question. A lawsuit by Schreiber to recoup the money given to Mulroney for failing to provide any services has been thrown out of an Ontario court for lack of juristicion. There must be cost/benefit analysis on the value of the information the inquiry will produce. As a result he recommended having a limited inquiry focused only on the scandal at hand.
Mr. Johnston has hit the nail on the head. Outside of political opportunity there is very little benefit to a public inquiry. There are no criminal charges that will be laid against Mulroney. Schreiber is set to spend the rest of his life behind bars in Germany once this scandal blows over. At most the government might be able to recover the $2.1 million paid to Mulroney to settle the liable suit over the airbus scandal. Such an inquiry will cost significantly more. The laws on ethical standards for politicians and lobbyists have been strengthened over the past 15 years. It is unlikely any substantial new recommendations will come out of the inquiry.
Canadians want a government who is able to deal with the challenges Canada is facing both now and in the future. While history is very important part of the future, there are no practical implications going forward for dragging out events of 15 to 25 years ago. The worst thing that could happen is having the next government chosen based on this relatively unimportant election issue.
Out of fear that Schreiber would be deported before a public inquiry the Parliament Ethics committee (one of only four chaired by the Liberals) decided to launch an investigation of their own. Their ability to control their investigation and remain focused on the interests of Canadians has been embarrassing.
On Friday, David Johnston submitted his report about the terms of reference for a public inquiry. He noted that the RCMP had examined the evidence and decided not to reopen their investigation. The purpose of a public inquiry is for fact finding. Considering there are more than 100,000 documents of evidence, there is very little new information that an inquiry could uncover. The questions that are still up in the air have been asked (or could still be handled) by the parliament ethics committee. Mulroney has already paid taxes on the money in question. A lawsuit by Schreiber to recoup the money given to Mulroney for failing to provide any services has been thrown out of an Ontario court for lack of juristicion. There must be cost/benefit analysis on the value of the information the inquiry will produce. As a result he recommended having a limited inquiry focused only on the scandal at hand.
Mr. Johnston has hit the nail on the head. Outside of political opportunity there is very little benefit to a public inquiry. There are no criminal charges that will be laid against Mulroney. Schreiber is set to spend the rest of his life behind bars in Germany once this scandal blows over. At most the government might be able to recover the $2.1 million paid to Mulroney to settle the liable suit over the airbus scandal. Such an inquiry will cost significantly more. The laws on ethical standards for politicians and lobbyists have been strengthened over the past 15 years. It is unlikely any substantial new recommendations will come out of the inquiry.
Canadians want a government who is able to deal with the challenges Canada is facing both now and in the future. While history is very important part of the future, there are no practical implications going forward for dragging out events of 15 to 25 years ago. The worst thing that could happen is having the next government chosen based on this relatively unimportant election issue.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Mulroney reports to the circus
On Thursday, Brian Mulroney finally had an opportunity to respond to allegations surrounding money he received from Schreiber and connections to the airbus scandal. We now have he said vs he said story, which puts the burden of proof on the accuser.
Mulroney admits to taking a total of $225, 000 in cash vs $300,000 claimed by Schreiber. Mulroney eventually paid income tax on the payments but not the GST. Schreiber justified this by saying that it was for work performed over seas which is GST exempt. Mulroney confirmed that he would only lobby for Schreiber outside of Canada. Both men agree that the money being investigated has no connection to the airbus scandal.
Schreiber has alleged that he was instructed through a third party to send money to a Swiss bank account as a kick back for the air bus scandal. The alleged person died two years. Hard evidence will be required to back up this claim.
At this point, it appears that there will not be sufficient evidence to prove that Mulroney did anything illegal. Harper can easily justify his actions and keep his hands clean of this scandal. Within 2 years Schreiber should be on a plane to Germany to spend the rest of his life behind bars. As for the ethics question, people will need to decide if they believe a dishonest business man facing charges for bribery or a former unpopular Prime Minister. This may be seen as a tough decision but the lack of supporting evidence tips the scale in Mulroney's favour.
It looks like this scandal will not carry the political weight to be a factor in a spring election. There are far more important issues that have relevance to Canadians.
Mulroney admits to taking a total of $225, 000 in cash vs $300,000 claimed by Schreiber. Mulroney eventually paid income tax on the payments but not the GST. Schreiber justified this by saying that it was for work performed over seas which is GST exempt. Mulroney confirmed that he would only lobby for Schreiber outside of Canada. Both men agree that the money being investigated has no connection to the airbus scandal.
Schreiber has alleged that he was instructed through a third party to send money to a Swiss bank account as a kick back for the air bus scandal. The alleged person died two years. Hard evidence will be required to back up this claim.
At this point, it appears that there will not be sufficient evidence to prove that Mulroney did anything illegal. Harper can easily justify his actions and keep his hands clean of this scandal. Within 2 years Schreiber should be on a plane to Germany to spend the rest of his life behind bars. As for the ethics question, people will need to decide if they believe a dishonest business man facing charges for bribery or a former unpopular Prime Minister. This may be seen as a tough decision but the lack of supporting evidence tips the scale in Mulroney's favour.
It looks like this scandal will not carry the political weight to be a factor in a spring election. There are far more important issues that have relevance to Canadians.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Ottawa Circus
On Tuesday, Karl Heinz Schreiber had his second day of testimony before the parliamentary ethics committee. Once again while providing enough testimony to keep politicians interested he stated that the $300,000 being investigated had nothing to do with the Airbus scandal. If Schreiber as the key witness sticks to his story, the public inquiry will not throw any dirt on the Conservatives and could be opened to investigate his relationship with the Liberals in 1993/1994.
Liberal chair of the committee, Paul Szabo started Tuesday with a statement apologizing for an incident where Schreiber under police escort to his home to view documents had his pants fall down. Police did not provide him with a belt which is normally taken away in prison. Szabo then went on to chastise those who referred to the hearings as a circus by elaborating the political and legal importance of the committee.
The self righteous attitude of Szabo and co-chair Pat Martin (NDP) speak volumes for why this committee has turned into a circus. They had to apologize over an incident they had no control over. It would not come as a surprise if they launched an inquiry into the events surround Schreiber's pants. Was this an intentional attempt to discredit the star witness?
The committee may have the legal authority to conduct an investigation. There are better mechanisms to deal with this issue including the RCMP and a public inquiry. If Szabo and Martin are not careful they may end up being caught with their own pants down (figuratively of course)
Liberal chair of the committee, Paul Szabo started Tuesday with a statement apologizing for an incident where Schreiber under police escort to his home to view documents had his pants fall down. Police did not provide him with a belt which is normally taken away in prison. Szabo then went on to chastise those who referred to the hearings as a circus by elaborating the political and legal importance of the committee.
The self righteous attitude of Szabo and co-chair Pat Martin (NDP) speak volumes for why this committee has turned into a circus. They had to apologize over an incident they had no control over. It would not come as a surprise if they launched an inquiry into the events surround Schreiber's pants. Was this an intentional attempt to discredit the star witness?
The committee may have the legal authority to conduct an investigation. There are better mechanisms to deal with this issue including the RCMP and a public inquiry. If Szabo and Martin are not careful they may end up being caught with their own pants down (figuratively of course)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Justice Partisan Style
When it comes to reconstructing events that have taken place there are three significant versions; what can be proven in a court of law, public perception, the truth. All three of these versions play a significant role in the Schreiber/Mulroney scandal. The handling of this scandal is a time-bomb waiting to go off. The question is who is going to be on the receiving end of the public backlash.
Mulroney and Schreiber had previously been the centre of the Airbus scandal. It was alleged that Mulroney received kickbacks from Schreiber when the government purchased some airplanes. A lengthy RCMP investigation was unable to prove that anything illegal had taken place. The Chretien government agreed to paid $2.1 million to cover Mulroney's legal costs and offer an apology.
The current scandal involves the events surrounding $300,000 Schreiber gave to Mulroney in cash. The question boils down to did anything unethical or illegal take place with this transaction? Is it in violation of the settlement terms of $2.1 million that was paid out?
Schreiber is trying to avoid extradition to Germany. He will probably spend the rest of his life in a German jail cell. These allegations make him valuable to Canadian authorities and could keep him in Canada as long as he is needed for the hearings. If the government does not succumb to his stall tactics he will head back to Germany December 1st. Schreiber has promised to be uncooperative with any investigation if he is sent to Germany.
Harper has called for a full public inquiry with an inquiry currently underway to determine the parameters of the inquiry. Opposition parties are scrambling to have the public associate this with the sponsorship scandal. They are trying to stop extradition of Schreiber accusing the government of a cover up.
The Liberals are trying to have the Justice Minister step down from his post because Mulroney played a positive roll in is life. Mulroney's friendship with Harper is grounds for investigation of the PMO office. They had spent some vacation time together earlier this year where Schreiber claims he asked Mulroney to talk to Harper about the scandal. Harper denies that it was ever a topic of conversation. The Liberals also believe that the parameters are going to be limited to investigating the Schreiber/Mulroney business dealings. They have asked the the ethics commissioner to investigate the PMO role in the scandal.
The NDP are trying to make sure that the Liberals are not left out. They want all of Schreiber's business dealings to be investigated, including a donation to the Liberal party. Pat Martin does not want to wait for a public inquiry and has demanded the government begin recouping the $2.1 million immediately. Martin is trying to have Schreiber and Mulroney testify to the ethics committee before Schreiber has a chance to be deported.
The Conservatives have been put in a no win scenario. Keeping Schreiber in Canada is allowing him to abuse our judicial due process. Not allowing him to stay will be seen as an intentional miscarriage of justice. Such a label could destroy the Conservative brand the way sponsorship scandal continues to tarnish the Liberal party.
This scandal is not about money as any course of action is going to lead to cost millions of dollars. Linking this scandal to the current government is key. If Canadians see this investigation as a chapter in the long forgotten past, and a waste of public funds the opposition parties could be facing a major public backlash. It is also serving as a distraction to the issues they claim are important including environment, poverty and Afghanistan. If the public perception does associate this scandal with the current government (whether it is true or not) it could play a similar role as the sponsorship scandal helped topple the Liberals from power.
In the next 6 weeks more by elections are going to be called. It will be to the benefit of all Canadians if these election are fought over current policy decision instead of the actions of a Prime Minister who has been out of office for 14 years.
Mulroney and Schreiber had previously been the centre of the Airbus scandal. It was alleged that Mulroney received kickbacks from Schreiber when the government purchased some airplanes. A lengthy RCMP investigation was unable to prove that anything illegal had taken place. The Chretien government agreed to paid $2.1 million to cover Mulroney's legal costs and offer an apology.
The current scandal involves the events surrounding $300,000 Schreiber gave to Mulroney in cash. The question boils down to did anything unethical or illegal take place with this transaction? Is it in violation of the settlement terms of $2.1 million that was paid out?
Schreiber is trying to avoid extradition to Germany. He will probably spend the rest of his life in a German jail cell. These allegations make him valuable to Canadian authorities and could keep him in Canada as long as he is needed for the hearings. If the government does not succumb to his stall tactics he will head back to Germany December 1st. Schreiber has promised to be uncooperative with any investigation if he is sent to Germany.
Harper has called for a full public inquiry with an inquiry currently underway to determine the parameters of the inquiry. Opposition parties are scrambling to have the public associate this with the sponsorship scandal. They are trying to stop extradition of Schreiber accusing the government of a cover up.
The Liberals are trying to have the Justice Minister step down from his post because Mulroney played a positive roll in is life. Mulroney's friendship with Harper is grounds for investigation of the PMO office. They had spent some vacation time together earlier this year where Schreiber claims he asked Mulroney to talk to Harper about the scandal. Harper denies that it was ever a topic of conversation. The Liberals also believe that the parameters are going to be limited to investigating the Schreiber/Mulroney business dealings. They have asked the the ethics commissioner to investigate the PMO role in the scandal.
The NDP are trying to make sure that the Liberals are not left out. They want all of Schreiber's business dealings to be investigated, including a donation to the Liberal party. Pat Martin does not want to wait for a public inquiry and has demanded the government begin recouping the $2.1 million immediately. Martin is trying to have Schreiber and Mulroney testify to the ethics committee before Schreiber has a chance to be deported.
The Conservatives have been put in a no win scenario. Keeping Schreiber in Canada is allowing him to abuse our judicial due process. Not allowing him to stay will be seen as an intentional miscarriage of justice. Such a label could destroy the Conservative brand the way sponsorship scandal continues to tarnish the Liberal party.
This scandal is not about money as any course of action is going to lead to cost millions of dollars. Linking this scandal to the current government is key. If Canadians see this investigation as a chapter in the long forgotten past, and a waste of public funds the opposition parties could be facing a major public backlash. It is also serving as a distraction to the issues they claim are important including environment, poverty and Afghanistan. If the public perception does associate this scandal with the current government (whether it is true or not) it could play a similar role as the sponsorship scandal helped topple the Liberals from power.
In the next 6 weeks more by elections are going to be called. It will be to the benefit of all Canadians if these election are fought over current policy decision instead of the actions of a Prime Minister who has been out of office for 14 years.
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