Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 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

TORONTO DRUG SQUAD TRIAL: MISSING NOTEBOOKS FOUND IN HOME, JURY HEARS

Investigators searching the home of a Toronto drug squad officer 
suspected of malfeasance found 17 police memo notebooks he had been 
ordered by the police chief to hand over, a cop corruption trial has been told.

On March 22, 2002, special task force officers searched the home of 
Const. Ned Maodus and found a total of 67 police notebooks in his 
basement, according to an agreed statement of facts from retired 
Toronto Det.-Sgt. Alyn Scott, which a prosecutor read into the record 
Wednesday.

Investigators also found a Feb. 11, 2002 letter from then-police 
chief Julian Fantino ordering Maodus to hand over notebooks covering 
a five-year period.

"You are to turn over all memorandum books in your possession 
covering the period January 1, 1995 to September 1, 2000 
immediately," to the task force, the letter said.

Seventeen of the notebooks investigators located were for dates 
within the period demanded.

Maodus, 49, John Schertzer, 54, Steven Correia, 45, Raymond Pollard, 
47, and Joseph Miched, 53, - former members of Central Field Command 
drug squad - collectively face 29 charges, including attempt to 
obstruct justice, perjury, assault and extortion.

Also found in Maodus' home were his rough notes on a steno pad 
containing details over a two-hour period left out of the official 
typed surveillance report on the arrest of three drug dealers, court heard.

Maodus was the central note taker for the squad's arrest of Montreal 
cocaine dealer Aida Fagundo and her two accomplices on Nov. 2, 1997, 
court has heard.

Maodus' rough steno notes describe a "friendly" picking up Fagundo at 
Pearson airport, testified former task force member Peter Goulet.

A "friendly" is a term used to describe someone helping police, said 
Goulet, a retired RCMP inspector.

The Crown alleges the drug squad hid their use of Andy Ioakim as an 
agent or confidential informant in the transaction, thereby 
attempting to obstruct justice.

Ioakim has testified he asked his friend, Bill Zaparengos, to pick up 
the cocaine dealer at the airport as part of his plot to entrap her 
and thereby assist the drug squad. Zaparengos is apparently the 
"friendly" referred to in Maodus' rough notes.

The trial continues Thursday.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart