Greenspan treats Eckstein like so much Radler

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Douglas Bell

At the trial of Garth Drabinsky yesterday, Eddie Greenspan began his cross-examination of the Crown’s star witness, former Livent senior VP of finance Gordon Eckstein. And from all reports, it was Radler redux, as Eddie accused Drabinsky of everything short of sacking Rome. To wit, reported The Globe and Mail:

In court Monday, Mr. Greenspan showed Mr. Eckstein a transcript of comments from Maria Messina, who was Livent’s chief financial officer, when she was questioned by the RCMP after Livent’s collapse.

She said staff called Mr. Eckstein “Sybil” because they never knew which person they were going to get at any time, and her employees were “terrified” to go into his office.

“He called them fucking idiots constantly, to shut their fucking mouths.... This was constant. It was daily.”

And this from the National Post: “You are, by nature, a pretty horrible human being,” Mr. Greenspan said.

Beyond that, Eddie suggested that Eckstein was a homophobe and lecher who bragged to his colleagues about cooking the books during a previous job at Loblaws.

What Judge Mary Lou Benotto must make of all this is anybody’s guess, but around the courthouse she’s known as a “defendant’s judge,” which means her stock-in-trade is reasonable doubt. While Eddie’s plans to seed the ground on that score remain to be seen, his effort at sowing doubt as to Eckstein’s suitability for a place on anybody’s holiday card list looks to be a smash hit.

• Executive admits saying at Livent trial that ‘everyone’ cooks books [Toronto Star]
• Livent finance official was abusive to staff, court hears [Globe and Mail]
• Livent Crown witness was ‘vile’ ‘Telfon Man’, court hears [National Post]
• Livent Trial Blog [Canadian Business]
• Sibling rivalry in court [Globe and Mail]

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