FEDS PROBE BUSTED COP'S CASES

More than 30 cases against alleged drug dealers may be going up in smoke
after the Tantallon Mountie involved in their arrests was charged with a
narcotics offence himself.

The federal Justice Department is re-examining about 25 cases in which
Const. Danny Ryan was involved, and has stayed six drug charges against two
people already.

"In order to proceed with a case, we have to assess if theres a reasonable
likelihood of conviction and unfortunately, because of Const. Ryans
outstanding charges on drug charges and obstructing justice, we no longer
have a credible witness," said department spokesman Glenn Chamberlain.

"He has not been convicted of any crime at this point; however, he is
charged, and we have to look carefully at what that means with respect to
his own credibility."

Ryan, a six-year officer, was arrested at the Cambridge Suites in Halifax
on Jan. 23 and charged with trafficking in marijuana. Mounties seized
marijuana during the arrest, an amount Ryans lawyer says is less than four
kilograms.

The 31-year-old had been part of Tantallon RCMPs successful "Street Team,"
a plainclothes drug team that worked with information from other
investigations and community sources to crack down on street-level drugs.

When he was arrested, Ryan was in the midst of a transfer to Ottawa to join
the prime ministers protection detail. The detail provides personal
security to Jean Chretien and his family, protects the official residence
in Ottawa and travels with the prime minister.

Ryan was suspended with pay, pending an internal investigation.

Chamberlain said it is "particularly complicating" for the Crown to
prosecute cases Ryan had a hand in because many of them involved search
warrants.

"The fact that he was involved in getting those search warrants and no
longer has credibility is troublesome," he said.

Now the Crown has to look at each case to determine whether or not it can
still result in a likely conviction without Ryans testimony.

The Crown has up to 12 months to reinstate the charges if they find a way
to make the case without Ryan.

Some cases the province is prosecuting may also have been compromised by
the arrest. Provincial Public Prosecution Service spokeswoman Chris Hanson
said yesterday her department is looking at seven or eight cases involving
Ryan.

Ryan will appear in court for election and plea in June.