Charges expected in Toronto police scandal


By DARREN YOURK
Globe and Mail Update

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Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino admitted Monday that he expects criminal charges to be laid in the second major internal scandal to rock the city's force this year.

The son of a former police chief is suspended and the entire downtown 52 Division disbanded as an investigation by the force's internal affairs unit into an alleged police-protection racket continues.

"I anticipate that criminal charges and police service act charges will be laid," Chief Fantino said at a press conference Monday. "...It is a sad state of affairs for everyone and we have to be sensitive to the fact that these issues are traumatic for everyone."

"What more can I say? These are not happy times for anybody."

Chief Fantino declined to discuss specifics of the investigation, other than to say that he believes that they are "confined to a small area."

Last Thursday, William McCormack Jr., the son of former police chief William McCormack, was suspended from his duties as a plainclothes officer in the downtown 52 Division.

Toronto Police Association president Rick McIntosh volunteered to temporarily step down Sunday after his name was connected to the scandal.

Neither Mr. McIntosh nor Det. Constable McCormack have been charged.

Chief Fantino said Monday that he still believes that the public has faith in his force.

"We're dealing with these issues in a forthright manner," he said. "These issues were discovered by us. It is us who is doing the investigation and it is us that will give answers to the public."

"I'm confident that the public will understand that as regrettable as these things are, they are being dealt with."

In January, charges were laid against six veteran Toronto police officers in the wake of a massive 2½-year RCMP investigation into corruption on the force.

The officers were members of the Police Service's central drug squad. The charged officers are alleged to have falsified notes and internal police records, given false testimony, sworn to false affidavits to obtain search warrants and failed to account for evidence they seized.


http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040419.wpscandal0419/BNStory/National/
 

[Yes, we certainly wouldn't want any more evidence surfacing while their is a fair trial being conducted. Such evidence could jeopardize all the effort that has gone into providing a lessening of the conviction, or having it thrown out all together.]

Mukherjee said once the criminal proceedings end, he will ask Ontario's attorney general -- currently Liberal Michael Bryant -- to order a public inquiry.

"I am giving you my own personal view ... we need a full airing of all the issues," Mukherjee said, adding that he believes his board members are also "on side."

Toronto Police Services Board chairman Dr. Alok Mukherjee said if it were not for criminal allegations before the courts, "I would have no hesitation in ordering a full public inquiry" into alleged police drug squad corruption and cover-ups. (Mark O'Neill/Sun)

"We need a public discussion to get all the answers to the questions. Public trust is of the utmost importance. We have an expectation that there is no bad conduct," said Mukherjee, who was appointed to the board's premier post by Mayor David Miller.

When former drug squad corruption task force Sgt. Jim Cassells went public with his demands for a public inquiry in May, Mukherjee said he doubted there was any truth to Cassells' allegations and he had total faith in the integrity of Toronto Police professional standards.

Sources say the allegations include thefts by a second drug team and a suspected cop cocaine ring both went unprobed.

Mukherjee credited yesterday's sudden change of mind to the issues raised by Cassells, followed by retired Sgt. Neal Ward's move to publicly support Cassells, saying Cassells' allegations were "mostly ... quite correct," as well as stories by the Toronto Sun and CBC Radio.

Mukherjee said he wants internal affairs officers to talk with Ward now.

"Ward's comments now raise some questions. I think we need to know from him directly," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee's turn-about also coincides with his getting a draft copy of a "procedural review" ordered by Chief Bill Blair. Sources say the scope was narrow.

Mukherjee promised it will be made public after it goes to the board Tuesday.

Cassells and Ward were both members of an RCMP-led special task force created in August 2001 to look into allegations of corruption in the Toronto Police Central Field Command (CFC) drug squad.

[So we have the RCMP, who we know from the CTV's W5 report is working with methamphetamine dealers and gun smugglers, creating a "special" task force to look into corruption at another police force. See how it works folks? It's not all that sophisticated, so they must be relying on public apathy and gullibility.]

The 25-member special task force, headed by RCMP Staff Supt. John Neily, ended its investigative phase in January 2004 and laid a total of 40 criminal charges against six former members of a CFC drug squad.

Staff Sgt. John Schertzer and four subordinates -- Steve Corriea, Ray Pollard, Ned Maodus and retired cop Joe Miched -- were committed to trial in June on charges that they were part of a conspiracy to steal drugs and cash from suspected dealers. Rick Benoit was sent to trial on allegations he took part in an assault.

Another four former drug squad cops were named as unindicted co-conspirators.

The 10 cops are among 13 who face Police Services Act charges on allegations dating back to the late 1990s.

None of the allegations have been tested in court and all officers deny any wrongdoing.

[Ah, yes.... Isn't it nice that these thugs and morons suddenly discover the benefit of common law principles and fundamental rights, when they are the ones that benefit.]

While the case is scheduled to go to trial in January 2008, it faces a barrage of defence legal challenges, among them a motion for dismissal on the grounds of unreasonable delay.

[Hmmmm...... Where have we seen this before? Oh, yeah.... when the RCMP took control of an investigation of child sexual abuse, with one of their "special" task forces. Of course, they do on occasion have to sacrifice one or two of their own to at least give the "appearance" of competence, but it does make us wonder how long it will be before the public goes elsewhere for its law enforcement service.]

As revealed in the Sun yesterday, the Neily task force was created by former chief -- now OPP commissioner -- Julian Fantino in August 2001, shortly after Toronto Police internal affairs Insp. Tony Corrie recommended that a task force should be formed in order to bring the issues to the "forefront" and at the same time "avert" an embarrassing public inquiry.

[In case their is any doubt, in order for a person to make "chief" in a police department, he or she MUST prove they are a "team player" and willing to abide by the code of silence in order to protect their criminal activities. A former Chief (who came back to the good side) of the Calgary Police department once remarked: "In order to understand the workings of a police department, one must understand how a cult operates".]

Mukherjee disagreed that the Corrie report was an attempt to duck a public inquiry, or that it somehow prejudged the outcome of the special task force probe. He suggested Corrie was being "fairly straightforward ... his concern was that public trust in the police needs to be reinstated."

Schertzer and seven other former drug cops have named Fantino, Neily, Corrie and more than 20 other cops in a $116-million "malicious prosecution" civil court lawsuit.

Fantino refused comment yesterday, saying it would be "inappropriate" while charges were still before the courts.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty suggested all questions should go to the Toronto Police Services Board.

Miller also refused comment, saying he will leave discussion for Tuesday's board meeting.

[The Toronto Sun removed this article from its archive the day after publishing. Ask yourself why, and what was done to accomplish this type of police state censorship.]

If the following surprises you, you're living in a fantasy world...

Toronto police corruption probe laid a fraction of charges: report

Last Updated: Monday, April 30, 2007 | 10:54 AM ET
CBC News

Only half of the officers suspected of criminal activities in Canada's
largest police corruption probe in history will face a criminal trial,
according to a final report about the internal investigation.

That is despite original recommendations to lay 218 charges against a
dozen officers.

Just six officers from a single drug team were charged with 22 counts
at the end of a lengthy probe in January 2004, according to the
report, which has been seen by the CBC.
 

Ontario rehires Police `smut' traders. Ramsay fumes over board ruling.

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