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.

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.

As chairman of the far-flung Hollinger newspaper empire, tall, silver-haired, magnificently tailored Conrad Black reigned supreme as one of the world’s most powerful media moguls.

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.

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.

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.