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Four RCMP officers on Surrey Six murder case face charges
Four RCMP officers on Surrey Six murder case face charges
One of them allegedly had an improper affair with a potential witness in the case
METRO VANCOUVER -- Four RCMP officers working on the Surrey Six murder case are facing a total of 20 criminal charges after one of them allegedly had an improper affair with a potential witness in the case.
Sgt. Derek Brassington, the officer at the centre of the controversy is facing seven charges, including breach of trust, obstruction of justice and fraud, claiming expenses to which he was not entitled and compromising and endangering the witness.
His supervisor at the time of the alleged misconduct, Insp. Dave Attew, is facing six counts, including breach of trust and fraud and compromising the safety of a witness.
Two other officers, Paul Johnson and Danny Michaud, have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and misleading investigators from the Ontario Provincial Police who were looking into the allegations against Brassington.
Special prosecutor Chris Considine recommended the charges after reviewing the investigation done by the OPP.
Considine, a Victoria lawyer, was appointed in November of last year to decide what should be done with the OPP's findings.
Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie said Considine would not be commenting on his recommendations given the charges are now before the court.
The RCMP is expected to respond later today at a news conference.
The OPP was called in to investigate after revelations that Brassington, then working for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, had an inappropriate relationship with a potential Surrey Six witness.
Brassington was suspended with pay in April 2010. Two months later, Attew was also suspended with pay.
Neither Johnson nor Michaud were suspended or publicly identified.
Considine's mandate included conducting an independent charge review of the OPP's Report to Crown Counsel and "making the charging decision he deems appropriate in the exercise of his independent prosecutorial discretion," offering legal advice to the OPP if further investigation is deemed necessary, providing a written report to the assistant deputy attorney-general and conducting the prosecution if charges are laid.
Five men are charged in connection with the gangland-style execution of six people in a Surrey highrise in October 2007.
Jamie Bacon, Matt Johnson, Cody Haevischer and Michael Le are facing first-degree-murder charges in the case, while another suspect, Sophon Sek, is facing a manslaughter charge in connection with the deaths.
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發表於 2011-6-24 07:36
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