Das other boot drops for Karlheinz Schreiber
Karlheinz Schreiber is the German businessman facing serious charges in Germany. He is in Canada fighting extradition. He is famous in Canada, of course, for his involvement with former prime minister Brian Mulroney. That relationship led to allegations of influence peddling that was investigated by the RCMP over 15 years ago. The investigation cleared Brian Mulroney. Mulroney then sued the government and was awarded $2 million. Fast forward to 2007, and Karl Schreiber is literally weeks away from a flight to Germany, and quite possibly prison. Suddenly Schreiber drops a bombshell -- an agreement to pay Mulroney $300,000 was made when Mulroney was still in office (during the last 48 hours, as it turns out).
I've made it clear that I think Karlheinz Schreiber is interested only in avoiding extradition. At 73, he only needs to delay extradition for a year or so, and he'll probably never return to German soil. By manipulating events to cause a public inquiry to be called, he has made that likely, especially since his patsies in the Liberal Party are obliging him by demanding that he not be extradited.
Robert Fife of CTV has made a similar observation.
And now Schreiber dispells any lingering doubt. He promises not to testify in any Canadian proceedings if he is sent to Germany.
The other shoe drops.
[Sorry about the title, but I couldn't resist working Das Boot into a Schreiber post.]
[Yes, I know "Das Boot" means "The Boat" and has nothing to do with footwear. It just sounds funny.]
Karlheinz Schreiber has said that there is no link between Karl Schreiber's fight against extradition and the allegations he has made against Brian Mulroney:
Speaking to The Canadian Press from behind a Plexiglas screen at a Toronto jail, Schreiber expressed confidence about his prolonged fight against extradition, which returns Thursday to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
When asked if he was creating the controversy in a last-ditch effort to remain in Canada, the former arms dealer - who was unshaven, unkempt and clad in the usual orange prison garb - shook his head.
"No, I am not playing games with the system," he said.
He made that statement before the Ontario Court of Appeals denied his request to avoid extradition, essentially clearing the way for Schreiber to return to Germany, where trial and a jail term awaits.
In the light of that disappointment, Karlheinz Schreiber has made it clear there is very direct link between extradition and his allegations:
The man at the centre of allegations against former prime minister Brian Mulroney, Karlheinz Schreiber, served notice yesterday he would not co-operate with a public inquiry if he were extradited to Germany.
Mr. Schreiber's allegation that he discussed a financial deal with Mr. Mulroney during his last days in office that led to $300,000 in cash payments spurred Mr. Harper to call for a public inquiry. But opposition politicians say an inquiry cannot go ahead without Mr. Schreiber's testimony.
And in a telephone interview yesterday, Mr. Schreiber warned that if he's sent back to Germany, the inquiry won't hear from him.
"Not one fucking word would I say," Mr. Schreiber said from the Toronto West Detention Centre. "Not one word," he repeated.
"Why would I care about the country any more? ... Why would I care any longer?"
Right then. His allegations had nothing to do with extradition, until he was about to be extradited, when his allegations suddenly would only be heard if he was not extradited. Some people might think this makes Karlheinz Schreiber a liar.
We could keep him in the country, but then his testimony is worthless. So why bother?
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