Judge orders Conrad Black to return boxes

A court in Ontario, Canada, has ordered Conrad Black to return 12 boxes that a security camera showed him removing last week from the headquarters of Hollinger Inc., his holding company.

An Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge made the order after the court saw a four-minute series of pictures taken last Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported in today’s editions. The boxes were among a stack of cartons and documents inside the Hollinger building in central Toronto.

The judge had previously ordered that no documents be removed from the premises unless authorised by Ernst & Young LLP , the court-appointed inspector of various Hollinger related-party transactions involving Black.

Hollinger Inc. holds voting control over Hollinger International Inc., the Chicago newspaper publisher.

Black is in a legal battle with both Hollinger companies over tens of millions of dollars of payments made to him and David Radler, a former Hollinger president and co-chief operating officer.

The companies allege the former Hollinger International executives improperly diverted the funds from the companies. Lord Black and Mr. Radler have denied wrongdoing and said the payments were approved by Hollinger International’s board.

The two men are also the subject of a civil action by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and an investigation by the US attorney’s office in Chicago.

A spokesman for Black said “these were personal effects that Conrad believed he was entitled to remove in the course of moving out of his office”.

The Ontario court recently ordered another of Black’s holding companies, Ravelston Corp., to vacate the Hollinger premises.

The images showed Black removing boxes through the back door of the Hollinger Inc. headquarters as his driver placed the boxes into the boot and back seat of a limousine. The car was then shown driving away.