OFFICER REVEALED SECRETS: POLICE

Constable's Arrest Tied To Drug Raids

A veteran Winnipeg police constable has been accused of serious criminal
breaches of conduct -- including communicating with targets of an ongoing
undercover drug operation, running unauthorized computer searches and
disclosing the identity of a confidential police informant.

Const. Bruce Huynen, 38, was arrested at 6 a.m. yesterday, about the same
time police in Canada and the United States conducted a series of raids
designed to shut down an alleged crystal methamphetamine smuggling network.

Huynen, who has 16 years of service, is facing five counts of breach of
trust by a public officer, five counts of obstructing justice and four
counts of unauthorized use of a computer. The maximum sentence for any one
offence is 10 years in prison.

Provincial court Judge Arnold Conner released Huynen on bail late yesterday
afternoon, despite opposition from the Crown. Private bar lawyer Marty
Minuk was retained as a special prosecutor to avoid any conflicts of interest.

A court-ordered ban prevents details of the bail hearing from being published.

Huynen's lawyer, Hymie Weinstein, told the Free Press outside court the
charges will be contested at a future trial. "We will await particulars
from the prosecution and down the road my client will enter a plea of not
guilty," said Weinstein.

Huynen has been placed on administrative leave pending the resolution of
the case. He worked in the police gang unit between 1999 and 2003, then was
transferred to the community service centre on Broadway, where he had
worked until his arrest.

Deputy police chief Menno Zacharias said late yesterday police wouldn't be
making any further comment on the case while it's before the courts.

Several Winnipeg police officers were in court during yesterday's hearing,
including those who arrested Huynen.

One recently retired city officer was there to support Huynen and offered
to post one of the two $5,000 sureties ordered by Conner.

Huynen is also prohibited from entering any Winnipeg police station or from
having contact with five named individuals. Some of the people named were
subjects of yesterday's drug raid, according to sources familiar with the
case. All of the charges against Huynen stem from alleged incidents that
occurred between Jan. 27 and Sept. 14.

Perhaps the most serious is an Aug. 13 incident in which Huynen is charged
with disclosing the identity of a confidential Winnipeg police informant to
an unauthorized person not connected with the police service.

The exact wording of the charge claims Huynan attempted to "obstruct,
pervert or defeat the course of justice" by revealing the informant's identity.

Protection of confidential sources is paramount to the operations of
Winnipeg police. The issue has been raised recently in two high-profile
cases involving police.

In January, senior Crown prosecutor Bob Morrison wrote a letter to defence
lawyers representing five alleged Hells Angels saying Winnipeg police
officers "may have committed criminal acts" during the gang investigation,
which began in 2002.

Police and the Crown refused to provide further details, citing the safety
of a confidential informant.

Defence lawyers filed a motion demanding further explanation, but the issue
became moot when the Crown abruptly stayed all charges against the alleged
bikers, setting them free following two years behind bars.

Zacharias told the Free Press yesterday the topic of Morrison's letter
"isn't a closed issue" and that the Justice Department has been fully
informed about police conduct.

"If they want to pursue it further, that's an option they have," he said.
Police wouldn't say yesterday if Huynen's arrest is connected to Morrison's
letter.

Police Chief Jack Ewatski has cited informer privilege in refusing to
publicly disclose why the six officers were removed from the job last
summer -- then returned to different duties months later after an
independent report recommended no criminal charges be laid against them.

The six officers were placed on administrative leave amid allegations that
members of the force ignored warnings that a Winnipeg man, Kevin Tokarchuk,
was targeted for death, possibly as part of a gang revenge plot.

Tokarchuk was shot to death last year on the one-year anniversary that his
brother, Daniel, was charged with murdering a Hells Angels associate. No
arrests have been made in his killing.

The six officers claim they were wrongly placed on paid leave by Ewatski
and that their careers and personal lives have suffered because of it. They
want a public apology from Ewatski and payment of lost overtime and shift
premiums -- about $10,000 to $20,000 each.

A public arbitration hearing examining the action taken against the
officers was delayed Aug. 31 when Ewatski promised to turn over new
material to the police union just moments before he was set to testify.

The 14 charges against Huynen read as follows, according to court documents:

*Between Jan. 27 and Sept. 14, he is accused of breach of trust in
connection with his duties "in that he did obtain and disclose confidential
police information." There are identical breach-of-trust charges for
alleged incidents on Jan. 27, May 15, June 28 and Aug. 13.

* Between Jan. 27 and Sept. 14, he is accused of "willfully attempting to
obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice by fraudulently obtaining
and disclosing confidential police information." There are identical
obstruction-of-justice charges for alleged incidents on May 15 and June 28.
There is also the Aug. 13 charge regarding the alleged disclosure of the
informant.

*Between Jan. 27 and Sept. 14, he is accused of "fraudulently and without
colour of right using the computer system of the Winnipeg Police Service
with the intent to commit an indictable offence." There are identical
use-of-computer charges for alleged incidents on Jan. 27, May 15 and June 28.

Huynen's next scheduled court appearance is Oct. 20.