The two men at the center of an international scandal surrounding a suitcase brimming with cash spent days facing off in a downtown Miami federal courtroom, as a slew of lawyers argued over which one is telling the truth.

But the pair -- star witness Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson and defendant Franklin Durán -- once shared their time in more pleasant ways: baby christenings, outings in fast cars, and family vacations to Europe.

Court testimony and taped conversations presented at the trial -- now in its sixth week -- paint a portrait of two men sharing deep personal and financial ties, including intertwined family relations, bank accounts and political connections. But eventually, their relationship unraveled in betrayal.

Antonini is the Venezuelan businessman and Key Biscayne resident who set off an international firestorm when he was discovered trying to pass a suitcase packed with $800,000 through Buenos Aires airport customs in August 2007. Durán is one of the five men accused of illegally trying to silence Antonini about the origins of the cash, which prosecutors say was a contribution from the government of Venezuela to the Argentine presidential campaign of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner -- a charge both leaders deny.

Though Antonini's testimony has ended, the evidence he gathered against his former friend has been the most damaging in the trial.

Durán and Antonini were once the closest of friends. Antonini had security access codes to Durán's house and at times borrowed his expensive cars. Durán is the godfather to Antonini's small daughter.

In the end, it appeared to be a friendship that became expedient for both when outside pressures -- from three governments and the international media -- overwhelmed them.

Transcripts show Durán encouraged Antonini to follow the wishes of Venezuela's government in keeping quiet about the cash, but his lawyer counters that he was just providing caring advice to a friend who was in a legal bind.

All along, Durán was unaware that his longtime friend had already betrayed him by agreeing to wear a wire for the U.S. government.

U.S. prosecutors have accused Durán, along with four others, of acting as an unregistered foreign agent in a conspiracy to silence Antonini. He was arrested with three others: Moisés Maionica, Rodolfo Edgardo Wanseele Paciello and Durán's business partner and friend Carlos Kauffman. All three pleaded guilty and Maoinica and Kauffman testified in the ongoing trial against Durán, who faces up to 10 years in prison.

Durán's lawyer, Ed Shohat, has said the case is politically motivated, but the judge in the case would not allow him to present that argument at trail.

For days, the pair sat on opposite sides of the courtroom: Antonini, the portly, upper-class investor and Durán, the working-class mechanic turned high-rolling bachelor. Both grew wealthy under the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Durán and Antonini own expensive properties on Key Biscayne, and they were often seen driving around in an assortment of exotic cars.

Antonini ''was an ordinary guy and all of sudden he was riding around in Ferraris,'' said Ken Rijock, an international financial crime expert who used to live in the same condo development as Antonini and who has done extensive research on the new Venezuelan millionaires who have emerged under Chávez. ``He and Durán were like ghosts around here -- they didn't participate much in the community, and they were somewhat covert about their dealings.''

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