Telegraph fate awaits Hollinger ruling

THE FATE of the Telegraph titles and other newspaper assets of Hollinger International may be decided this week when a Delaware Chancery Court judge gives his decision on last week's trial at which Conrad Black gave evidence.

The judgement, expected on Friday, could effectively give the go-ahead for Black to sell Hollinger to the Barclay brothers, or it may prevent Black from interfering in the company, leaving the Hollinger board free to pursue it own auction plans.

In a post-trial brief filed with the court at the weekend, Hollinger International argued that the evidence in last week's trial supported its claim that Black should be prevented from changing the company bylaws to give him power of veto over deals.

It also says he failed to prove his claim that his sale to the Barclays was necessary for Hollinger Inc, which he controls, to avoid insolvency or default. Nor did the Hollinger International board fraudulently induce him to resign from the company by feeding him false information.

Black's legal team will also file briefs with the court, and these documents will weigh in judge Leo Strine's decision

'We were pleased with the general progress of the trial,' a Hollinger spokesman said yesterday. Legal observers said that on the strength of the evidence presented in court it was not clear how the judge would rule.