It'll Get Worse Before It Gets Better for Mulroney

Karlheinz Schreiber says he knows where the bodies are buried and it seems he's about to start pointing out the graves before he's extradited to Germany for, of all things, bribing politicians.

As Schreiber's trans-Atlantic departure date looms ever closer he's begun talking - a lot - about his friends in high places, notably Brian Mulroney, and the Air Canada/Airbus saga. He's already said a lot and a lot of what he's said has stuck - stuck to Brian Mulroney. When you add up Schreiber's sometimes astonishing claims and Mulroney's already recorded statements and deeds one thing is clear - Schreiber has a lot left to tell and Mulroney owes this country at least some explanation of the trail of inconsistencies.

The Globe & Mail reports that Schreiber has just sworn and filed an affidavit in which he deposes additional information about the three cash payments, each of $100,000, he gave Mulroney years before we ever learned of them, before Mulroney sued our country and collected $2.1-million from us for defaming him.

The latest revelations include a claim, yet to be proven, that, before Mulroney left office he had a meeting with Schreiber at which it was agreed the former prime minister would be paid $300,000 after he returned to private life. The deal, Schreiber claims, was made at a meeting between the two men at the prime minister's Harrington Lake summer residence just days before Mulroney's resignation. Mulroney spokesman, Luc Lavoie, confirms the meeting occured but denies there was any agreement as alleged. Lavoie described the meeting as "a courtesy sort of thing."

Lavoie also confirms that Schreiber and Mulroney met again in Zurich in 1998, well after the government had capitulated in Mulroney's law suit, but this time he was much more vague about what transpired. This is what he told the Globe: "I don't know that I would like to comment on this because it was his private business. It was his private dealing. It's a one-on-one meeting that took place while he was in Zurich for other businesses. And whatever was said — I don't know the details of what was said, I don't know exactly what was said — but, you know, it's his private business."

Just what really happened is something that only Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Mulroney may know. However there have been events and circumstances revealed - now acknowledged by Mulroney or his spokesmen - that raise questions the former prime minister should answer.

Why did he say under oath that he'd had no dealings with Mr. Schreiber when, after the fact of the payments became public, Mulroney said he'd received the $300,000 as a "retainer" for services to be rendered?

Why did he not declare the cash payments as income in the years in which they were received?

When did Mulroney finally make a voluntary disclosure of this "income" and how does the timing of that even coincide with the disclosure of Schreiber's bank records?

There are other questions the government of the day, Canada's New Government, should answer. Did Mulroney and the late Frank Moores make similar or identical voluntary disclosures at or around the same time in respect of monies received from Schreiber?

Why, given these late revelations, does Stephen Harper, "Mr. Accountability and Transparency", want to avoid enquiring into what really went on?

We also need to get some answers from Schreiber about just how much "schmeergelder" or grease money he received from Airbus and just who got how much out of that multi-million dollar grab bag?

Stephen Harper has the power to at least delay Mr. Schreiber's extradition until we can get this man's evidence on this miserable business. Seems he's not interested. Ain't that curious?

I can tell you from personal experience that it would be a litigator's dream to get these people under oath for a wee chat. The mind positively reels at the thought.