Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Kim Bolan, staff writer KIDNAP VICTIM ADMITS HE FACES CHARGE FOR PEDDLING OF ECSTASY Defence Lawyer Attempts To Discredit Witness Who Denies Dealing An Abbotsford mechanic and alleged kidnapping victim admitted Tuesday that he is charged with peddling ecstasy to an undercover police officer but claimed it is a case of mistaken identity. Harjit Singh Toor repeatedly denied that he sold a Vancouver officer two blue ecstasy pills for $20 at a rave early on Jan. 1, 2005. Toor's credibility was challenged for hours by lawyer Matt Nathanson, who is representing accused kidnapper Jethinder Singh (Roman) Narwal. Nathanson suggested Toor is a drug dealer who has been involved in cross-border drug smuggling, seriously undermining his credibility. "You sold ecstasy to an undercover police officer at a rave at the PNE," Nathanson said. Replied Toor: "That is still under investigation . . . that is all untrue." The 30-year-old told Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein that he has tried to avoid illegal activity in his life, though sometimes "I walk a fine line." "I know a lot of bad people," Toor explained. Toor has testified at the Vancouver Law Courts under heavy police security about being grabbed at gunpoint last May 2 as he left his Coquitlam job about 1 a.m. He was held for three days, beaten, burned and threatened with death, the court was told. He was freed only after his brother Jessie gave the kidnappers about $150,000 in cash that had been loaded into his truck. But Jessie Toor also cooperated with police who marked the money, taped some of the calls with the kidnappers and were waiting when Harjit Toor was dumped off at a Langley movie complex May 4. Harjit Toor has admitted that his kidnapping ordeal began after he agreed to go to the border late one night to help his cousin and some friends get away after a failed "run" into the U.S. Nathanson said Toor undoubtedly knew the men had been involved in criminal activity on the night in question but was still willing to go "help them escape from the police." But Toor said his primary concern was for his cousin's well-being because Toor had been told the young man was seriously injured with deep cuts on his hands. "I just wanted to get him to the hospital," Toor testified. He claimed he did not know what his cousin had tried to take across the border. "It could have been taking tomatoes. It could have been pot," Toor said. He said he later learned it was marijuana because he was approached by several individuals before his kidnapping and asked if he knew where the missing marijuana was. Toor later picked Narwal out of a photo lineup as resembling the man who grabbed him, but admitted Tuesday that he was not sure of the identity. Narwal faces 15 charges in connection with three separate kidnappings in January, April and May of last year. Others are charged in each of the kidnappings, but the Crown decided to proceed by direct indictment against Narwal. The others are due to go to trial later this year. Nathanson also suggested Toor made a lot of extra money that he did not intend to declare on his income tax return. Toor admitted that $40,000 of the money his brother used for ransom was cash he had in a safe at home. He denied the money came from drug smuggling and said he intended to declare it on his tax when he filed in the coming weeks. Asked Nathanson: "Why wasn't that money in the bank?" Replied Toor: "Because I like to spread it on the bed and have sex on it." The trial continues. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin