Karlheinz Schreiber launched a new round of verbal attacks at Brian Mulroney on Monday, accusing the former prime minister of putting on a "smoke-and-mirrors show" to escape a public inquiry.
"Mr. Mulroney is frightened by the truth," Schreiber told the House of Commons ethics committee, in what was his fifth -- and possibly last -- appearance.
He even quoted an unscientific online poll that suggested a majority of Canadians believe his testimony over that of Mulroney.
"I'm very honoured," he said with a grin. "Canadians gave me 84 per cent -- 27,800 votes."
Schreiber, a German-born arms dealer, is currently fighting extradition to his native country on fraud and tax evasion charges.
Committee member Pat Martin, a New Democrat MP, said he may not have another chance to ask Schreiber questions because of his legal battle. But Schreiber joked that he would "look him up in Winnipeg."
At issue Monday was the conflicting testimony given by Schreiber and Mulroney.
Schreiber insists he paid Mulroney $300,000 in cash to lobby the Canadian government to buy light-armoured vehicles, but claims Mulroney never did the job.
Mulroney testified in December that he actually received $225,000 from Schreiber in the early 1990s, not $300,000, and that he actively lobbied international leaders like the late Boris Yeltsin.
He specifically recounted the Yeltsin meeting, saying the Russian president had told him he would love to buy the vehicles but that Russia was effectively "broke."
On Tuesday, Schreiber dismissed that story as false.
"Mr. Mulroney lied to you,'' he claimed, calling the testimony "smoke and mirrors."
"He is motivated to try to show that there is no need for a public inquiry. That is his only goal," he said.
Schreiber also contradicted Mulroney's testimony that he felt uncomfortable being paid in cash.
"He accepted the cash because he didn't want it traced," said Schreiber. "The $300,000 was trust money given to Mr. Mulroney. He stole it because he didn't do any work for me."
A website devoted to defending Mulroney in the affair, , posted a response to Schreiber's testimony, accusing the businessman of playing games with the committee.
"Key to his endless game of hide and seek with journalists and the justice system has been Mr. Schreiber's claim to possess mountains of damning evidence related to each of his improbable allegations," the website said. "But when challenged, his evidence is never revealed."
Former Mulroney-era cabinet minister Elmer MacKay, the father of Defence Minister Peter MacKay, also testified Tuesday. The Committee members asked why Mulroney and Schreiber disagreed on the amount paid.
"I don't want to say that either one of them are lying," said MacKay, who is a friend of both men. "I find it incongruous that one says $300,000 and the other says $225,000. But what do I know?"
Committee members are hoping to hear further from Mulroney, but sources told Â鶹´«Ã½ that likely will not happen. Those close to the former prime minister said he finds the committee process unfair, and wants to save any more testimony for a public inquiry.
With a report by CTV's Graham Richardson in Ottawa
