Conrad Black's attorney accused prosecutors today of trying to prejudice jurors against the fallen media mogul by focusing on his affluent lifestyle while basing their racketeering and fraud case on the word of a former business partner he described as "a proven liar."

A US prosecutor accused media mogul Conrad Black of systematically “fleecing” shareholders out of more than $60m (€44.7m) and creating an elaborate paper trail to cover his tracks.

Media mogul Conrad Black’s lawyer spent a second day attempting to demolish the government’s star witness as a liar who would say anything to get in the good graces of prosecutors.

The US government’s star witness at former media mogul Conrad Black’s fraud trial testified that he consulted Black on every business deal he made on behalf of the Hollinger newspaper empire.

MUCH-anticipated testimony this week by David Radler, the ex-partner of former media baron Conrad Black, will likely make or break the criminal case against Mr Black and three fellow executives, lawyers said.

Media baron Conrad Black signed a contract promising not to compete with a company he himself controlled, an ex-employee of his Hollinger International newspaper empire, who said she sent him a £1.35m (€1.99m) cheque in return, told a court.

Payments totalling $9.5m (€6.9m) that prosecutors say belonged to Hollinger International shareholders went instead to media mogul Conrad Black and four other executives, a company memo showed.

Former British media mogul Conrad Black’s defence lawyer grilled the US government’s first witness about hefty pay cheques he received from the Hollinger International newspaper empire.

A businessman who steered Conrad Black’s Hollinger newspaper empire through a storm of lawsuits and investigations told a court that the former media mogul “was very knowledgeable” about the finances of the company he is accused of swindling out of £44m (€65m).

AT Hollinger International’s 2003 annual meeting, Conrad Black tried to disarm critics who alleged that he and top executives enriched themselves at shareholders’ expense.

Conrad Black, the former owner of the Daily Telegraph, and three other executives have been charged with fraud in America involving the $2.1bn ($1.79bn) sale of several hundred Canadian newspapers and the abuse of company perks at newspaper publishing company Hollinger International.

Hollinger International, the newspaper publisher formerly run by the disgraced media tycoon Conrad Black, filed a long-delayed annual report for 2004 and said it had named a new chief financial officer.

FBI agents seized nearly €7.3m in proceeds from the sale of embattled media baron Conrad Black's apartment on New York’s Park Avenue.

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.

Former owner of the Daily Telegraph Conrad Black and long-time business partner David Radler have resigned as officers and directors of Ravelston Corporation, the private holding company behind the troubled Hollinger media empire.

US government prosecutors have confirmed for the first time they are conducting a criminal investigation of former Daily Telegraph boss Conrad Black, his former top deputy David Radler and Black’s company, Hollinger Inc.

Embattled media company Hollinger Inc is to place in trust some of the funds related to the sale of The Telegraph Group as part of its negotiations with regulators investigating the company’s former chief and Daily Telegraph boss, Conrad Black.

A Canadian judge ordered the removal of three directors from the board of Hollinger Inc, including Lady Black, the wife of disgraced former Daily Telegraph publisher Conrad Black.

A former Hollinger International executive named with ex-Daily Telegraph boss Conrad Black in a $1.25bn (€1bn) lawsuit that accuses them and others of improperly diverting funds has denied claims of racketeering.

US newspaper publisher Hollinger International has removed Conrad Black as its chairman.

CONRAD BLACK has quit as chief executive officer of Hollinger International Inc, and has put the company up for sale after an internal investigation found he misled shareholders over $32 million paid to executives.

Hollinger International chief Conrad Black, owner of the Daily Telegraph, agreed to resign today after admitting he and other executives had received unauthorised secret payments amounting to £19m (€27.19m).