Pubdate: Wed, 09 May 2012
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Peter Small
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

Police Corruption Trial

OFFICER DENIES SEEING PRISONER BEATEN

A Toronto police officer accused of corruption says marijuana dealer 
Christopher Quigley was never, as he claims, kicked, punched and 
choked to unconsciousness by drug squad members 14 years ago.

"I heard him say that, but it never happened," Const. Steven Correia, 
45, testified Tuesday in his defence.

Quigley took the stand in January to say two other officers, Ned 
Maodus and Richard Benoit, viciously assaulted him in a drug squad 
interview room, demanding to know where his marijuana and money were.

"He said that you said, 'If you don't tell these guys what they want 
to know, this is going to go on all night,'" Correia's lawyer, Harry 
Black, said.

"That's not true," Correia replied.

Correia; Maodus, 49; Raymond Pollard, 48; Joseph Miched, 53; and 
their former boss, John Schertzer, 54 - are on trial for attempting 
to obstruct justice, theft, assault, perjury and extortion between 
1997 and 2002.

Correia testified he was sitting at his desk doing paperwork on the 
night of April 30, 1998, just outside the interview room where 
Quigley was being held for questioning.

Quigley had been arrested for possession of stolen property and 
possession of drugs.

At around 1 a.m., Benoit entered the interview room, Correia said.

"And within 15, 20 seconds, I'm hearing banging, yelling screaming," he said.

Maodus rushed into the interview room.

Correia said he followed and saw Quigley face-down on the ground, 
handcuffed, with Benoit kneeling over the small of his back, while 
Maodus was kneeling over his shoulders, holding him down.

"Benoit advised me: 'I told him there was a search warrant on his 
house and he punched me,'" Correia recalled.

Quigley, who was taken hours later by ambulance to hospital and got 
seven stitches, never asked for medical attention at that time, Correia said.

The next day, Schertzer and Correia executed a search warrant on a 
CIBC safety deposit box belonging to Quigley's mother, because she 
said she was holding cash for him.

Schertzer reported that he and Correia seized $22,850 from the box, 
but Quigley insisted the box contained $54,000, with the officers 
probably pocketing the difference.

Correia denied this was true.

Correia also denied allegations that he and the drug squad searched 
the apartment of a Scarborough couple, Ho Zhong Pang, and his wife, 
Miao Fen Lin, before a search warrant was issued.

Fen testified they searched the apartment between about 7 and 10 p.m. 
on Feb. 18, 1998.

The search warrant was issued only around 10:30 p.m.

But Correia said he and fellow drug squad officers searched the 
apartment starting at 10:45 p.m., after Miched arrived with the warrant.

The trial continues.
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