POLICE SERVICE STANDS BY ITS OFFICER

A Winnipeg police officer whose testimony resulted in the collapse of a drug
trial will not face disciplinary action.

On Wednesday, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Wilfred Degraves ruled the
majority of evidence against accused drug dealer Leo Sadiua was inadmissible
because of contradictory evidence provided by police officers on the stand.

Const. David Black was accused by Sadiua's lawyer of lying on the stand to
win a conviction.

But yesterday, Insp. Gary Walker of the vice division -- Black's superior at
the time of the bust in 1998 -- stood by the officer and said no official
review of his investigation or testimony has been called.

Walker said internal reviews of investigations are conducted when the
service receives an official complaint -- most often from the Crown.

"The Crown notified me there were no grounds of appeal in this case and he
made no mention of any concerns with (Black's) testimony,'' said Walker. "He
did not request any kind of official review. (Black) has the confidence of
the service and there is nothing untoward in his record to indicate
otherwise."

Clyde Bond, the federal Crown in charge of the Sadiua case, did not return
calls.

During the trial Black testified police followed Sadiua when he left a
north-end Chinese restaurant to see if he was participating in a
"dial-a-dealer" operation in which cocaine was ordered by phone and
delivered to the buyer.

Black testified Sadiua began varying his speed, stopped quickly and changed
directions suddenly in an effort to elude police. He said those actions
justified police in stopping Sadiua and searching his car.

Police found five grams of cocaine in Sadiua's vehicle.

Other officers, however, testified Sadiua drove normally and did nothing
unlawful prior to his detention. It was this inconsistency that prompted
Degraves to toss the case.