Judge increases Black's bail

A US judge increased former newspaper tycoon Conrad Black’s bond by €829,000 and urged prosecutors and defence lawyers in his fraud case to stop trading insults.

Judge Amy St Eve boosted the €16.3m bond yesterday, saying the former Daily Telegraph publisher’s initial accounting of his finances for the court was too low and that higher bail was needed.

“I’m confident that is enough to reasonably assure his appearance for trial,” St Eve told prosecutors and Black’s lawyers.

Black will go on trial next in March accused of plundering millions of dollars from the Hollinger International media empire he once headed.

St Eve made a point of saying she was not ruling on whether there was anything deliberate about the inaccuracy. But she did administer a gentle rebuke to both sides for the war of words they had been waging lately.

Prosecutors, seeking an increase in the bond, said in court papers last week that Black “continues to obfuscate his financial situation and lie about the circumstances surrounding” a November financial affidavit.

“Both the government and the court continue to give Black every opportunity to provide full and accurate information and Black has squandered every opportunity by lying,” the court papers said.

Black’s lawyers hit back on Wednesday, saying “the government’s performance is shameful”.

“In a case in which the international press and people all around the world may wonder how American prosecutors conduct themselves, the government has filed yet another inaccurate, histrionic press release masquerading as a federal court pleading,” Black’s lawyers declared.

St Eve urged the two sides to moderate their rhetoric, saying the attacks had become “over the top”.

“What you are doing is really not effective, and I would urge you to stop,” said St Eve, a former federal prosecutor.

She gave Black’s lawyers until August 25 to post the extra bail cash. The remaining €16.3m of the bond is secured by €24.4m in Florida property owned by Black.

Hollinger International’s holdings once included The Daily Telegraph, The Jerusalem Post and Canada’s largest newspaper group. Its last remaining major property is the Chicago Sun-Times, and the company last month changed its name to Sun-Times Media Group.