RCMP TAPE REVEALS COP IN HOT WATER

Ex-Victoria Detective Defends Actions During Investigation Of Drug
Deals

VANCOUVER -- A former Victoria police detective charged with
obstruction of justice maintains in a video recording made by the RCMP
that he did not compromise any case or leak information to a relative.

Former constable Ravinder (Rob) Dosanjh is on trial in Vancouver,
where the video was played Tuesday as part of a voir dire -- a trial
within a trial -- being conducted by provincial court Judge Carol
Baird Ellan to determine if it is admissible as evidence.

This is the first of several trials in the judicial pipeline as a
result of what is described as "a monster" of connected but
independent investigations 21/2 years ago that triggered an
unprecedented search of provincial government offices on Dec. 28, 2003.

The relative's home was raided Dec. 9, 2003. Six days later Dosanjh
was arrested and suspended from his job with pay. A year later he was
charged and fired.

Two weeks after Dosanjh was arrested, police executed warrants on the
parliamentary precincts.

In the Dec. 15, 2003, interview, Dosanjh, who voluntarily agreed to
the interrogation, maintained throughout that he was nothing more than
a concerned relative trying to help his younger relative escape a
criminal lifestyle: If he made mistakes in judgment, they were because
he faced a dilemma between familial loyalty and public duty.

Among the points in the prosecution's case is the fact that Dosanjh
did not come forward and tell his colleagues he was related to someone
they had in their sights.

"I don't know why I didn't tell anyone," he said.

In the eyes of the investigators, Dosanjh was less the well-meaning
relative and more a would-be consigliere providing advice on what to
tell investigators, warnings not to talk on tapped telephones and
providing a key tip about an impending raid.

"You loved [him] and you were trying to protect him," said RCMP Insp.
Don Adam.

"That's bad judgment, but you went further when you alerted him the
search was coming."

The Mounties had deliberately fed Dosanjh false information about a
looming drug raid on his relative's house in the hope of flushing out
a dirty cop.

"You told him about the pending search," said Adam, an interrogation
specialist brought in to close cases.

"I did not say that," Dosanjh insisted, shaking his head and casting
his eyes to the floor. "I did not tell him.

"There's a lot of things that make me look wrong in this, but at no
time was I trying to stop him being investigated or charged with
anything," he said.

After the relative's arrest, there was a flurry of phone calls. In
one, Dosanjh told him to claim $35,000 they found in his home belonged
to another relative.

"I don't think I crossed over," Dosanjh said. "I look like an idiot,
it looks real bad."

"I don't want to play cat and mouse with you," Adam said. "I want you
to come out of this with face, some pride ... you gave him that info.
You did."

Dosanjh shook his head.

"Do you see what's happened to you?" Adam continued. "[Your relative]
has systematically used you."

"I see that now," Dosanjh acknowledged.

"Does any of that sound like good straight up policing?" Adam
asked.

"No, it doesn't," Dosanjh whispered.

"This [$35,000] is drug money he's talking about, and you're talking
about it," Adam added.

Dosanjh choked up.

"You OK?" the Mountie asked.

"I'm fine," Dosanjh replied. "It's probably drug money."

He paused, then said: "I'm sure it's drug money."

"This sounds like you're partners," Adam said.

Dosanjh said: "My head's spinning right now trying to recall. I would
not tell [him] about a search warrant and jeopardize an investigation
like that."

"You've been used," Adam said. "But you allowed yourself to be used
and as we sit here we both know you crossed the line ... There is no
doubt in my mind that you stepped into that criminal arena and
breached your public trust."

"I thought I was helping him ... I'm not involved with these guys,"
Dosanjh said. "I'm not making money off them ... I did not tell them
about the search warrant -- I'd never do that. I'm not a crooked cop."

Drug charges against Dosanjh's relative were eventually stayed.