Is Elba or St. Helena Next for Conrad Black?
The otherwise avoidable fall of great men from high places always commands public attention and often history’s scorn. It is difficult to know what the future holds for Conrad Black. We learned yesterday that he has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in a U.S. federal prison. However much his friends interpret this as yet another form of vindication, as they did with his conviction on just four of the 13 counts on which he was tried, it is an unsettling prospect that looms ahead. We know something of what became of Lord Kylsant of Carmarthen, however –the only other British peer to be convicted of fraud in connection with a public company. Like Lord Black of Crossharbour, Lord Kylsant, who was frequently described as the Napoleon of the Seas, was a prominent conservative and a sterling member of the British business establishment. He ran one of the largest shipping fleets in the world, which included the White Star Line of Titanic fame. Lord Kylsant was convicted of fraud for issuing mislea
