LAWFUEL – A private investigator has accused former media mogul Conrad Black of hiding money by moving over $30 million between accounts across the world.
Juval Aviv, president and chief executive of Interfor, a private investigations firm in New York, made the claim in a sworn affidavit filed with the US Federal Court in Chicago yesterday.
Mr Aviv was investigating the finances of the 62-year-old former chief executive of the Hollinger newspaper empire that once included London’s Daily Telegraph, The Age in Melbourne and the Sydney Morning Herald.
Lord Black was convicted last month, along with three others of swindling Hollinger International shareholders out of more than $US6 million.
In the court papers, Mr Aviv said: “During the course of my investigation, I have been informed by several reliable, independent (from each other) sources that Conrad Black has been moving significant amounts of monies around the world from 2005 to the present.
“In particular, much of this money has either gone through or is currently domiciled in Gibraltar.
“The estimates I have received regarding the amount of money vary widely, but several sources have all told me the same amount, namely approximately 40 million euro ($A64 million) in Gibraltar.
Edward Greenspan, a lawyer for Black, called the allegations “all fabrication and mythology . . . from an utterly untrustworthy source”.
An Interfor brochure lodged with the court described Mr Aviv as a retired major in Israel’s Defence Force who had participated in Mossad secret service operations in many countries.
The brochure also states he served as lead investigator for Pan American Airways in the Lockerbie bombing and as a “special consultant” to the US Congress on terrorism and security issues.
