Pubdate: Mon, 27 May 2013
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2013 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Patrick White and Adam Radwanski

TORONTO POLICE SPOKE TO MAYOR FORD'S SENIOR STAFFER AFTER TIP LINKED 
KILLING TO ALLEGED DRUG VIDEO

Tip: Video belonged to an individual who may have been killed

A senior member of Rob Ford's office was interviewed by police last
week about a tip linking a video allegedly showing the mayor smoking
illicit drugs to a recent Toronto homicide, two separate sources have
confirmed.

The staffer felt compelled to share the tip, which came to him from
someone else in the mayor's office, with police because it could
constitute evidence in a homicide investigation.

The staffer did not verify the credibility of the information.

Two officers interviewed the staffer away from City Hall, according to
a source with knowledge of the meeting.

The mayor has repeatedly denied the existence of a video. Toronto
police refused to comment on the interview. The mayor's spokesperson
did not respond to requests for comment on the story.

The tip came into the mayor's office shortly after reports surfaced in
the Toronto Star and on Gawker.com regarding the existence of a video
allegedly showing Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine.

The informant in the mayor's office purported to know the address and
unit number where the video was being held.

They went on to say that the video originally belonged to an
individual who may have been killed for its potentially valuable
contents, according to a source.

The video clip was allegedly offered for sale to the Star and Gawker
by men involved in the drug trade, according to reports in both outlets.

Gawker is trying to raise $200,000 for the video through an online
campaign.

Both media reports were accompanied by a photo, provided by the men
selling the video, that allegedly shows Mr. Ford standing with a man
believed to be Anthony Smith, a 21-year-old man gunned down in
downtown Toronto in March.

Mr. Ford broke a seven-day silence about the allegations on
Friday.

"I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine," he
said in a speech at City Hall.

"As for a video, I cannot comment on a video that I have never seen or
does not exist."

On Sunday, he was more unequivocal about the video's existence,
telling a caller to his weekly radio show, "There's no video, so you
can't comment on something that doesn't exist."
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MAP posted-by: Matt