Langbar International

Rybak's position is a difficult one. His 98-page defence filing translates into the notion that he trusted his well-paid professional advisers to alert him to any possible fraud. In the absence of such warnings, Rybak said he proceeded on the assumption that Langbar's considerable paper assets were real.

Set against this is Langbar's case that Rybak controlled 60 per cent of the company's voting shares and appeared to benefit most from running a company that produced nothing. Langbar asserts that at the very least Rybak was "reckless" as to the existence of a fraud.

Master manipulator or dupe? Either way, this story is not likely to have a happy ending for him.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006