ERRORS QUASH DRUGS CASE

Crown And Police Committed Wrongs In Project Cleopatra Proceedings,
Judge Rules

A Quebec Court judge yesterday accused the Crown and police of using
abusive tactics and placed a stay of proceedings on drug-trafficking
charges against two people in a high-profile investigation.

In doing so, Judge Gilles Garneau essentially tossed out the cases
against Antal Babos, 42, and Sergio Piccirilli, 48, at the Laval
courthouse yesterday.

Both were arrested in 2006 as part of Project Cleopatra, an RCMP
investigation that primarily targeted the marijuana trafficking
activities of Piccirilli's girlfriend, Sharon Simon. The Kanesatake
woman is serving a 50-month sentence after pleading guilty last year
to taking part in the activities of a criminal organization and
weapons charges.

Several other people arrested in Project Cleopatra have since pleaded
guilty, including Carl Thomas, 46, a former police officer, who
received a 51/2-year sentence last year.

Both Piccirilli and Babos were willing to be tried on several counts
of drug trafficking and weapons offences. The trial began in February
and Garneau heard motions last month.

Yesterday, he found in favour of a defence motion alleging an abuse of
procedure by the Crown.

Defence lawyer Patrick Davis said the prosecution threatened to file
more charges against Piccirilli if he didn't agree to a plea bargain.
Davis also said the prosecution obtained Piccirilli's confidential
medical records without his consent and never explained in court how
they were obtained.

Davis also alleged that police investigators who testified at the
preliminary hearing modified their testimony at the trial.

Piccirilli's name also came up in another recent high-profile
investigation. According to court documents filed in Project Colisee,
the lengthy investigation into the Montreal Mafia, wiretaps indicated
Piccirilli conducted surveillance on members of the Rizzuto clan and
their headquarters in St. Leonard while it was involved in a heated
dispute with a rival organization based in Granby.

The dispute involve a marijuana deal involving up to $9 million that
went sour.

In one conversation, recorded on March 1, 2006, Piccirilli was
overheard telling a member of the group based in Granby that he was
armed and "ready to go hunting" for members of the Rizzuto clan.

Piccirilli was not charged in connection with Project Colisee.