Robinson outside court, February 13, 2012. Photo: Rafal Gerszak, Globe and Mail

In what line of work can a person be involved in two deaths, face criminal charges arising from both incidents, and not only keep his job, but receive paid leave for over four years while the wheels of criminal justice grind slowly along?

Answer: when the accused is a taxpayer-funded public servant, like the RCMP’s infamous Benjamin “Monty” Robinson, currently on trial for alleged obstruction of justice resulting from his actions following an off-duty accident on October 25, 2008 in which motorcyclist Orion Hutchinson was killed.  Robinson also faces perjury charges arising from his conduct after the Taser-related death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver Airport on October 14, 2007.  I understand that he has been on paid leave since October of 2007.

The system’s handling of Robinson’s cases is truly shocking.  My sympathies are extended, in the strongest possible terms, to Orion’s mother and sister, Judith and Daria, and to Robert’s mother, Zofia Csikowski.  I have met them all and can only imagine what they must be going through.

I was with Judith and Daria Hutchinson at the meeting where Crown Counsel Geoff Barragar, Melissa Gillespie and Neil MacKenzie tried to explain why the Crown did not charge Robinson with impaired driving causing death, impaired driving, criminal negligence causing death or leaving the scene of an accident after his vehicle killed Orion while Robinson was on his way home from a drinking party.  If and when it becomes appropriate, I intend to comment on the Crown’s conduct of this tragic case.

The VPD has issued a media release today that appears to have been triggered by a story posted by Alex Tsakumis yesterday on his blog, “Rebel with a Cause”.  At least fifteen unnamed male members of Vancouver’s finest apparently accessed or distributed pornography while on duty.  It is unclear whether this story would have ever surfaced but for Mr. Tsukamis’ efforts.

Our tax dollars hard at work…maybe this explains why there were so few police officers on the streets the night of the Stanley Cup riots.

With Luis Suarez’s disgraceful behaviour at Old Trafford, Tiger’s meltdown at Pebble Beach and the Boss’ opening of the Grammy Awards, there were a lot of interesting and welcome distractions this past weekend in the sports and entertainment world.

Bill Hiscox: Brian Hutchinson photo

Bill Hiscox attended the Commission’s hearings last week.  Here is some of what  Brian Hutchinson of the National Post had to say about his visit:

“Despite all that he knew, despite his efforts to assist police during their tragically flawed investigation of serial killer Robert “Willie” Pickton, despite his willingness to answer any question put to him now, in the long-overdue search for the truth, Bill Hiscox will not be heard at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.

He’s not on the inquiry’s private list of potential witnesses. He’s been cast aside again, and he can’t understand why.

…..

He says he’s still available, should the inquiry ever wish to hear from him. It was two months ago that lawyer Cameron Ward requested that Mr. Hiscox be added to the witness list, along with Pickton’s brother David, who lived on the family farm while murders were being committed there. While Mr. Oppal has not ruled on the requests, a senior inquiry source says they will be rejected. The commissioner is not obliged to explain his decisions to the public, for whom the inquiry was called.”

To repeat, the National Post reports today that ” a senior inquiry source says [our application for more witnesses] will be rejected”.  Really?  Is “a senior inquiry source” advising the media of the disposition of our formal application before the Commission tells us what it has decided?

It seems that I may have ruffled a few feathers with my statement the other day that “I’m afraid that this Commission may be enabling a cover up”.  It also seems that people are interested.  I just received a copy of the following email from a member of the public to the Commission:

“I have been following the news on the inquiry, and at first I thought Mr. Ward was bit of a dramatist, referring to a cover-up, and suggesting the inquiry was enabling it, but the more I read, the more it appears he is more than correct.  It stinks, and missing notes, missing files, excluded witnesses, evasive answers by police, and overall lack of disclosure are just the tip of the iceberg.  This is going to be a political disaster, and completely undermine the credibility of, and trust in, our judicial system and current liberal government–remember HST?  Unless the entire record pertaining to the investigation of police, politician [sic] and any other professionals involved is disclosed, this with [sic] be a bigger disaster than HST and the BC Rail combined.  You cannot allow a coverup, or even the appearance of one–the fallout from the public will be far worse for a coverup, than the ugly truth of this fiasco seeing the light of day, or the money and time it takes to thoroughly investigate. 

Why does it appear that Pickton was protected for years from investigation, from the kind of surveillance that would have caught him?  There were competent officers who knew he was beyond a strong suspect, and there is no doubt that the investigation was bungled.  But was it bungled because of a police and legal system who just didn’t care, and who thought the lives of these vulnerable women mattered so little that they couldn’t be bothered, or was there a connection with Pickton specifically that those some people in charge were trying to cover up.   There have been rumours for years that high level police and political figures were connected to the Pickton [sic]  (maybe attended his parties?), it would be very nice to put an end to the speculation with an open and honest investigation and allow all materials in.”

…..

I don’t use words like “cover up” and “whitewash” lightly, but I do try to call a spade a spade.  I recognise police cover ups when I see them, and I see them frequently, especially in the most serious cases.  The police are masterful at seizing control of an issue and deciding what is available for public consumption.  They do this by first investigating the matter themselves and making sure the documentary record is sanitized.  Those documents they decide to release for third party scrutiny are jumbled into a disorganized mess and dumped on their adversaries, in the hope that by the time they are reorganised, it’s too late to force the delivery of the critical missing information.

I hope to publish a book on this subject one day, outlining the attempted investigative cover ups of the 1998 “Riot at the Hyatt”, David Bruce-Thomas’ savage fatal beating of Jeffrey Berg, Russ Sherematta’s fatal shooting of Kevin St. Arnaud…and others.

Before that day comes, I’ll keep trying my best to ensure that this is a bona fide public inquiry.