Mulroney lawyer lashes out at ethics chairman's threats

Brian Mulroney's solicitor says he is "puzzled" that the head of the Commons ethics committee is threatening to have the former prime minister subpoenaed if he does not provide more testimony.

Lawyer Guy Pratte sent a letter to Committee chairman Paul Szabo on Friday, addressing Szabo's demand that Mulroney testify for a second time before committee members, who are probing Mulroney's dealings with Canadian-German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber.

Szabo told the media on Monday that he would be willing to subpoena Mulroney over the matter, and had sent Pratte a faxed letter explaining as much.

Pratte said to force Mulroney to testify again, after he spent a day answering MPs questions in Ottawa on Dec. 13, makes no sense.

"I am puzzled by your threat as you have previously stated that the committee would not force Mr. Mulroney to testify," said Pratte's letter, which is reproduced on Mulroney's website.

"Indeed, other members of your committee [Liberal MP Robert Thibault and Liberal MP Brian Murphy] publicly stated that they would not seek a summons to compel my client's testimony.

"Moreover," the letter added. "According to committee vice-chair, Mr. Pat Martin, you failed to consult with him or other committee members on the issue."

Pratte said before Mulroney decides if he will testify again, as Szabo wants him to do on Feb. 28, Mulroney must be informed of the specific allegations against him and be told of what rules he is accused of breaking.

"You have totally failed to provide Mr. Mulroney with this information," Pratte wrote.

He said Mulroney will only make a decision about testifying on Feb. 28 once he considers all the evidence against him and decides whether he needs to testify again in order to clarify or challenge any details.

Pratte noted that Mulroney can only weigh the evidence once he hears the final testimony from Schreiber and former MP Elmer MacKay, who are both scheduled to appear before the committee on Feb 25.

Mulroney produces brochures, fax

Pratte, in a second letter written to Szabo on Friday, addressed the ethics chairman's recent demand that Mulroney produce documentation outlining exactly how he spent the large amounts of cash he received from Schreiber in the early 1990s.

Szabo also demanded written details of the precise lobbying efforts Mulroney undertook on Schreiber's behalf in exchange for the money.

Szabo said Thursday that Mulroney could be found in contempt of Parliament if he didn't comply.

Pratte said the only documents Mulroney has in relation to his international lobbying are two brochures advertising the armoured vehicles made by Thyssen, a German arms company Schreiber worked for. Mulroney also has a fax discussing the possible interest of foreign countries in Thyssen products.

All three documents are now posted on Mulroney's website and available for public viewing.

Pratte questions relevance of committee demands

Pratte criticized the ethics committee for its interest in the precise details of the work Mulroney did for Schreiber.

"I fail to see how the precise nature and extent of the work Mr. Mulroney did for Mr. Schreiber is of any relevance to the Ethics Committee or its mandate," Pratte said. "The issue of whether Mr. Mulroney performed adequately the work for which he was paid by Mr. Schreiber is an entirely private matter."

As for documents relating to the money, Pratte noted that Mulroney has nothing further to add to what he already said in his Dec. 13 testimony. Mulroney also has no additional documents, Pratte said.

"Moreover, how he spent the money received is utterly irrelevant to any genuine issue before the ethics committee," Pratte wrote in his second letter, also published online.

"While Mr. Mulroney voluntarily indicated during his testimony that he used some of the money to defray the legitimate expenses incurred in carrying out the international mandate, this is a matter that could only have been relevant in Mr. Schreiber’s now dismissed lawsuit."

Schreiber, who is fighting extradition to Germany to face fraud and other charges, said Mulroney did nothing to earn the $300,000 he paid him in the early 1990s. Mulroney, however, said he received only $225,000, and was paid for acting as a lobbyist for Thyssen on Schreiber's behalf.

"I note again that any discrepancy on the amounts is totally irrelevant to the ethics committee’s mandate," Pratte wrote.