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"This is an utter waste of time," said Mr. Greenspan. "This is a venomous attack for no reason.

"I think they're treating it differently in the Department of Justice, because most cases in the Department of Justice are legal, but this is purely political. ... The Minister of Justice wants Mr. Schreiber out of Canada and is prepared to put up any roadblock that he can -- even where that roadblock is ridiculous."

A warrant by Germany seeking Mr. Schreiber's extradition to face charges of fraud, bribery and tax evasion in his homeland was forwarded to Canada in 1999. Mr. Schreiber, a Canadian citizen, has been fighting to stay for close to nine years.

From behind bars at the Toronto West Detention Centre, where he has been detained for eight weeks, he cast himself as a central player in a revived political scandal and made revelations that sparked a public inquiry into his dealings with former prime minister Brian Mulroney.

However, even as he promised he had important new information to reveal and opposition parties in Ottawa clamoured to keep him in Canada, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson maintained he could do nothing to delay handing over Mr. Schreiber as the clock ticked down to his extradition.

Mr. Greenspan said yesterday he now doubts the earnestness of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to call an inquiry.

"I don't even have that much faith any more that there's going to be a public inquiry," he said. "It seems to me that the government speaks out of both sides of its mouth. The Prime Minister is saying, 'I want a public inquiry' and the Minister of Justice is saying, 'Get this guy out of here as fast as we can.' It strikes me as a concerted effort to make sure they look like they want a public inquiry, but what they really want is Mr. Schreiber out of here."