More from CBC:

While Lord Black has been no stranger to controversy, going back to his early days in business when he won control of the Argus corporate empire, the Montreal-born Lord Black became a truly spectacular story in November, 2003. That's when he and several of his close associates were accused of diverting $32.2-million (U.S.) away from Hollinger International Inc., a company he controlled.

The number and magnitude of the allegations then ballooned after independent directors of Chicago-based Hollinger International spent more than a year and more than $56-million of the company's money on an investigation of years of transactions by the company while Lord Black was its chairman and CEO.

He has since lost those positions, under duress, and voluntarily given up parallel posts at Hollinger Inc., a Toronto-based company that's part of an elaborate web of interrelated businesses controlled directly or indirectly by Lord Black.

Lord Black still remains controlling shareholder of the Hollinger group, once the world's third-largest newspaper company in terms of circulation. But most of its key assets have been sold, including The Daily Telegraph, the London-based newspaper that enabled him to become a member of Britain's House of Lords.

While Lord Black's problems at Hollinger International can be traced back to shareholder complaints lodged in 2002, they gained real prominence in November, 2003, when the company announced that he, Hollinger Inc. and several other senior executives in his inner circle had received unauthorized fees.

Hollinger International also said Lord Black was resigning as CEO but would remain chairman and be involved in a "strategic process" that could involve the sale of all or some of the company's assets. CP