Blair Adviser Arrested
In Britain, a top adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair was arrested Wednesday. The adviser, Lord Levy is also the leading fundraiser for Blair’s Labour party. Police are investigating whether Labour offered donors state honors in return for million-dollar loans.
Enron Witness Found Dead in London
In other news from Britain, police have confirmed a man found dead in a London park Tuesday was a potential witness in the Enron fraud case. The man, Neil Coulbeck, was a former employee of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He had been interviewed by the FBI about the role of Bank of Scotland subsidiary NatWest in selling off part of its Enron unit. His death comes as Britain is locked in an internal political struggle over the extradition of three NatWest bankers to the United States. The three are being extradited under a treaty critics say is one-sided because the US has yet to ratify it.
Ex-Houston Mayor Collapses At Lay Funeral
Meanwhile in Houston, former Houston mayor Bob Lanier collapsed Wednesday as he attended the memorial service for Enron founder Ken Lay. Former President George Bush, his wife Barbara and former Secretary of State James Baker were among those in attendance.