Monday, December 7, 2009

Corruption charges stayed

Police cases seem to fail frequently.

http://mobile.thestar.com/mobile/NEWS/article/735247 

Corruption charges against Toronto police officers stayed
 
December 7, 2009

Peter Small      

Courts Bureau     

A judge has thrown out corruption charges against retired Det.-Const. William McCormack, son of a former Toronto police chief, and Rick McIntosh, one-time head of the police union.

Superior Court Justice Bonnie Croll stayed the charges against the two men, along with Const. George Kouroudis, on Monday, ruling that their fair trial rights had been breached by excessive delays.

This is the second major Toronto police corruption case in two years thrown out because of Crown delays. In January 2008, Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer stayed charges against six former members of an elite police drug squad. That ruling was overturned on appeal in October.

McCormack, 50, and McIntosh, 55, were charged with soliciting and accepting bribes from nightclub owners in downtown Toronto's Entertainment District. Charges included influence peddling and breach of trust.

The probe began in 2003, when investigators working on Project ORA, a multi-police force probe into drug and mob activity in Greater Toronto, stumbled upon allegations that police officers were allegedly taking bribes from downtown clubs.

Records showed that bars like Peel Pub and Distrikt nightclub, whose owners allegedly paid bribes, had fewer charges than those who refused.
James Morton
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1 comment:

John Prince said...

Law enforcement in this country is no different than what you see in third world countries where bribery and murder takes place on a regular basis with impunity. We are no better, and in some cases even worse e.g. Taser torturing and killings. Our msm does a good job in 'downplaying' all of this, doesn't it? Never letting the reporting of public opinion and outrage to rise above a whisper, never mind an uproar.