Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, April 30, 2012

Police corruption trial: John Schertzer denies wrongdoing on witness stand

John Schertzer, the man who led a small group of drug squad detectives accused of theft, extortion and attempting to obstruct justice, took the witness stand at his trial Monday to deny all the charges against him.

It was the first time the former detective has spoken in detail about the charges he and four former fellow officers have faced for eight years.

Schertzer headed Central Field Command drug squad, which investigated street- and mid-level narcotics dealing in Toronto’s core.

Dressed in a blue suit and tie over a crisp white shirt, he spoke in a soft voice.

Earlier Monday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Gladys Pardu directed that an acquittal be registered on five of 14 counts the officers face.

Schertzer, 54; Steven Correia, 45; Raymond Pollard, 48; Joseph Miched, 53; and Ned Maodus, 49, face various charges, laid in 2004, including attempting to obstruct justice, assault perjury and extortion between 1997 and 2002.

Earlier in the trial, former marijuana dealer Christopher Quigley, 46, alleged an angry Schertzer hit him in the face with an open hand in 1998, demanding where he kept his drugs and money, before two other officers beat him over several hours.

He claimed Schertzer and Correia then seized $54,000 from Quigley’s mother’s bank safety deposit box, but only returned $22,850.

The trial has also heard that Schertzer gave the order for his men to box in a taxi being ridden by Montreal stripper Aida Fagundo and two confederates on a Scarborough street in 1997, as they were trying to deliver five kilograms of cocaine.

Fagundo, a Cuban-born Canadian now living in Spain testified, via video link that Schertzer’s team robbed her of $20,000 earrings and $10,000 cash, as well as beating and fondling her.

Cocaine dealer Andy Ioakim, 55, claimed Schertzer’s team stole drugs and more than $100,000 from his home, then forced him to set up the Fagundo drug deal so they could swoop in and steal the drugs.

A former couple testified Schertzer’s team searched their Scarborough apartment in 1998, but only produced a warrant afterward.

Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Peter Small

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