TORONTO — Comments by a Liberal MP about Brian Mulroney's dealings with German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber were malicious and defamatory, the former Conservative prime minister is alleging in a new lawsuit.
In a statement of claim filed last week in Ontario Superior Court, Mulroney cites several statements West Nova member Robert Thibault made in a television interview Oct. 31.
In the interview, Mr. Thibault said Mulroney had claimed he didn't know Schreiber and had no business relationship with him, the documents say.
The former prime minister, now a lawyer in Montreal, also takes issue with another comment Mr. Thibault made about the timing of payments Schreiber made to Mulroney for private business services.
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Mr. Thibault told CTV's Mike Duffy that “according to Schreiber, the first funds were delivered while Mr. Mulroney was still a member of Parliament in May 1993.”
The timing and method of the payments —$300,000 — is crucial because it turns on whether the money was received while Mr. Mulroney was still in office, something he has steadfastly denied.
In his statement of claim, Mr. Mulroney denounces Mr. Thibault's comments as “all false.”
“Mr. Thibault intended by these statements to convey to the public that Mr. Schreiber made payments to Mr. Mulroney while Mr. Mulroney was prime minister, that Mr. Mulroney falsely denied knowing Mr. Schreiber, and falsely denied having any business relationship with Mr. Schreiber.”
Mr. Mulroney also alleges that Mr. Thibault had an opportunity to apologize and retract the statements, but failed to do so.
The suit seeks $2-million in damages and punitive damages, which Mr. Mulroney wants paid to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa and the Ontario Health Institute.
“Mr. Thibault intended to, and did attack, Mr. Mulroney's credibility,” the suit claims. “He did so for political gain. He did so maliciously.”
In an interview Thursday with Nova Scotia radio station CJLS, Mr. Thibault dismissed Mr. Mulroney's claim as an intimidation tactic.
“The only thing we received a couple of weeks ago was a letter from Mr. Mulroney's lawyers, which my lawyer has responded to,” Mr. Thibault said.
“I see this as a sort of an intimidation. I won't be intimidated by it. My lawyers will deal with the lawsuit if there is a lawsuit.”
Mr. Schreiber, who is in custody, was making a last-ditch legal attempt Thursday to stave off extradition to his native Germany, where he is wanted on tax-evasion charges.
Mr. Schreiber is also suing the former PM for failing to perform promised business services, but has not alleged he paid the $300,000 in cash while Mr. Mulroney was still in office, according to Mr. Mulroney's new claim.
Mr. Mulroney is challenging the jurisdiction of the Ontario courts to hear the case, which he wants heard in Quebec, and has yet to respond to the Schreiber suit.
Mr. Mulroney previously sued the government for libel after allegations of kickbacks related to the multi-million dollar purchase of Airbus planes surfaced during the 1980s.
The suit was settled with Mr. Mulroney obtaining an apology and $2.1-million.
Mr. Thibault has been one of the main opposition critics over recent allegations made by Mr. Schreiber about his business dealings with Mr. Mulroney, and said he has no plans to back down.
“I'll continue doing my job to try and find out the full truth in this matter,” Mr. Thibault said.
Mr. Mulroney's claim also notes that the RCMP investigated the alleged Airbus kick-back scheme and found the accusations to be groundless.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set the stage for a public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.
