A grand jury has handed up additional charges against toppled media baron Conrad Black and three associates, alleging their fraud caused Hollinger International to file false income tax returns.
The third superseding indictment in the US case alleges that Lord Black (61) and the others contributed to the under-reporting of Hollinger International's corporate income by approximately $13 million (€10.13 million) to $16 million in 1999 and 2000.
Hollinger International has since been renamed Sun-Times Media Group.
Also charged with additional counts were accountant John Boultbee and lawyers Peter Atkinson and Mark Kipnis.
Lord Black and the others previously were accused of engaging in a scheme to siphon money and misusing perks from media holding companies controlled by Lord Black, and are due to go on trial in March on charges of racketeering, fraud, tax evasion and obstructing justice.
The superseding indictment seeks forfeiture of a 26-carat diamond ring purchased by Lord Black for more than $2.6 million as well as assorted antiques and jewellery for which he paid more than $600,000, all in 2000.
Those forfeitures would be in addition to $32 million in proceeds sought by US authorities from the scheme itself, the $8.5 million in proceeds already seized from Lord Black's sale of a New York apartment, and his Palm Beach, Florida, estate.
A US court last week increased the Lord Black's bail bond by $1 million in cash to $21 million, saying he had lied about how much he was worth.
Earlier this month a federal judge raised Conrad Black's bond by $1 million in cash to $21 million saying the toppled media baron had misrepresented how much he was worth. - (Reuters)
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