Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2003
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Sandra McCulloch

FIVE CONVICTED OF DRUG CHARGES AFTER TOP COURT OKS WIRETAPPING

A drug case that was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada in December 
2000 and sent back to Victoria provincial court resulted Tuesday in 
convictions of four men and a woman.

Neil Grandmaison along with Angela Aroujo, Victor Camara, Mikel Oulton and 
Robert Jenkins -- all of the Victoria area -- have been found guilty of 
conspiring to traffic in cocaine, trafficking in cocaine and other charges.

Their trial has been held intermittently since Oct. 1, 2001. On Tuesday, 
provincial court Judge Ann Ehrcke announced the convictions and gave her 
reasons for the judgment.

The convictions are the closing of another chapter in a long legal battle 
which commenced Oct. 25, 1995, with police raids on four homes in Victoria, 
Burnaby and Vancouver. Drugs, cash, handguns and vehicles were seized.

About 40 Victoria police and RCMP took part in an eight-month investigation 
dubbed "Project Egbert" which focused on drugs being smuggled from South 
America to the Lower Mainland and capital region.

Drugs such as cocaine and anabolic steroids were distributed at the street 
level and to schools.

The group was first acquitted in December 1996 when a judge said the 
wiretap evidence could not be used in court. A subsequent appeal to the 
Supreme Court of Canada threw out the acquittal and ordered a new trial 
with the inclusion of wiretap evidence.

Judge Louis LeBel of the top court ruled that wiretapping is highly 
intrusive "and a judge should protect citizens against unwanted fishing 
expeditions by the state."

But there are times when there is no other option, he said. Police wishing 
to use wiretaps need to prove to the courts "there is no reasonable 
alternative method of investigation, in the circumstances of the particular 
criminal inquiry."

The wiretap evidence presented at this second provincial court trial was 
"voluminous," said Ehrcke. The transcripts of taped conversations filled 
five binders and consisted of more than 400 calls and messages.

"The evidence is not consistent with any rational explanation other than 
their trafficking cocaine in Victoria," said Ehrcke.

Police began recording telephone conversations of the suspected drug ring 
in June 1995. The conversations were often guarded and often involved 
arranging meetings on short notice.

Multiple pager messages were also recorded, many in a form of code.

"I am satisfied from the evidence, including expert evidence respecting the 
trading of cocaine and prices at the time that the codes referred to order 
amounts and prices for cocaine," said Ehrcke in her written judgment.

Conversations between the group were frequent and tended to be vague, she said.

"Meetings occurred on the spur of the moment and were often very short -- 
too short for normal social activity. No purpose was stated for many 
meetings. Meetings were delayed for unexplained or vague reasons."

Pager messages Oulton and Araujo sent to Grandmaison were consistent for 
orders of cocaine, including amounts in ounces, prices and telephone or 
pager numbers.

The group will be sentenced May 30.
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