Mulroney `is vindicated'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Following an unprecedented apology from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police yesterday, lawyers for the former Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney claimed that their client had been "completely vindicated" of all accusations that he had profited from kickbacks in connection with the purchase of 34 airliners from Airbus Industrie by Air Canada during his term of office.
The apology and an agreement to pay the former prime minister's legal expenses brought to an abrupt end what had been expected to be the most sensational libel trial in Canadian history.
Mr Mulroney had launched a C$50m (pounds 21m) libel suit against the Canadian government within hours of a leak in November 1995 that he and a former political associate, Frank Moores, a onetime premier of Newfoundland, were targets of an international criminal investigation involving the C$1.8bn purchase of the Airbus 320s in 1988.
Also targeted in the investigation was Mr Moores's business partner, Karlheinz Schreiber, a German-Canadian.
The Mounties alleged that Mr Moores and Mr Schreiber had received illegal commissions from Airbus Industrie based on their influence with Mr Mulroney and at least C$5m of those commissions had been turned over to the former prime minister.
The investigation became public when the contents of a letter from the Canadian Department of Justice to the Swiss government containing the allegations appeared in a Toronto business newspaper.
The letter was seeking Swiss assistance to freeze and examine Swiss bank accounts held by Mr Moores and Mr Schreiber.
Protesting his total innocence, Mr Mulroney commenced the civil proceedings and used the power of subpoena to counter the criminal investigation.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments