Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is relieved that the RCMP is finally closing the file on the Airbus affair after a decade-long investigation, says a senator who is close to the family.

Senator Marjory Lebreton told Canada AM Wednesday that Mulroney is glad the case, which many Tories claimed was nothing more than a Liberal ploy, is finally put to rest. She says the affair always seemed to her to be a personal vendetta launched by the governing Liberals.

"Mr. Mulroney led a very activist, aggressive government and we did some very unpopular things and unfortunately, some people chose to personalize it," Lebreton said. "And the Liberals actually created the climate for this witch hunt to continue."

The RCMP had been investigating the former prime minister over allegations he accepted kickbacks from a German company that sold $1.8-billion worth of 34 Airbus jetliners to Air Canada in 1988.

The affair began to make headlines shortly after Prime Minister Jean Chretien took power in 1993. At the time, letters from the Justice Department were leaked to the media alleging the Tories had been involved in a kickback scheme.

Mulroney denied having any involvement in the affair and sued the Liberal government for libel. The matter was settled out of court and Mulroney received an apology from the government and a reported $2 million.

The criminal investigation continued but on Tuesday, Mulroney's name was cleared in full. The RCMP said it was closing the file on the case without finding any evidence of wrongdoing.

"After an exhaustive investigation in Canada and abroad, the RCMP has concluded its investigation into allegations of wrongdoing involving MBB Helicopters, Thyssen and Airbus," an RCMP news release said.

"In October 2002, a charge of fraud was brought against Eurocopter Canada Ltd. (formerly MBB Helicopters Canada Ltd) and two German citizens - Kurt Pfleiderer and Heinz Pluckthun.

"The RCMP has now concluded that the remaining allegations cannot be substantiated and that no charges will be laid, beyond the charge of fraud already before the courts."

The Mounties also cleared Karlheinz Schreiber, a German-Canadian businessman, of master-minding a plan to bribe the former prime minister.

Senator Lebreton says the whole affair "taints the whole political system" and discourages people from entering public life.

"It should be a matter of some concern that something like this could happen," she told Canada AM. "The fact the Mr. Mulroney was able to defend himself is admirable. But what if this happened to an ordinary Canadian who don't have the resources that Mulroney has?"

Mulroney, through a spokesman, said it cost taxpayers more than $10 million to have the RCMP chase unsubstantiated and politically motivated charges, the Toronto Star reported Wednesday.

Mulroney had always maintained that he was the victim of a vendetta by Chretien's government.

"This is a total and absolute vindication,'' said Luc Lavoie, a spokesman for Mulroney, who was out of the country. "Even after Mr. Mulroney received a formal apology, (the RCMP) wanted to maintain this line about an investigation ongoing.

"But it was totally unsubstantiated, a complete fabrication and this is a shame for political justice.''

Tory MP Peter MacKay, the party's justice critic and leadership contender, said he didn't understand what took so long for the RCMP to close the case.

"It's a sad comment that it took the RCMP this long to come to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to proceed,'' said McKay. "I see it as a total, unqualified vindication of Mr. Mulroney and his complete innocence in this entire affair."