The Insider | Originally aired November 28, 1995 on CBC-TV |
The Insider
In March 1995, the fifth estate broke the story in the Airbus Affair. In 1988, Air Canada agreed to spend nearly two billion dollars to buy 34 airliners from Airbus. But there were allegations the deal was tainted with secret payouts to ensure that Airbus won the contract. One of the men behind the secret deal was Karlheinz Schreiber. He had many powerful friends and associates in Canada, including Frank Moores, the former premier of Newfoundland, Ottawa lobbyist and friend to those in power. At the time this story aired, the RCMP was investigating. It was revealed former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was one of the subjects in the investigation. He subsequently launched a lawsuit against the Federal Government. In an exclusive interview the fifth estate talks to a key figure in the affair, Giorgio Pelossi. He was an accountant in Schreiber's company and says he was present when Frank Moores opened two secret bank accounts in Switzerland. Pelossi says he was told one of the accounts was for Mulroney but he doesn't know if any money was ever deposited. A spokesperson for Mulroney denies connection to the account or receiving any payments in the affair. |
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About the Airbus Affair
 For more than a decade, the fifth estate has investigated rumours and allegations surrounding the 1988 sale of 34 Airbus A-320 jets to Air Canada and the mysterious dealmaker, Karlheinz Schreiber.
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