SILENCE GETS COP CHARGED

Tribunal Tied To Drug Squad Scandal

A Toronto police officer faces an internal misconduct charge for
refusing to answer questions about the alleged beating of a suspected
drug dealer. Jaroslaw Cieslik, 35, is charged under the Police
Services Act with failing to provide a statement to an RCMP-led
internal affairs task force which designated him a "witness officer"
in the alleged drug squad beating of Christopher Quigley.

The corruption probe has so far singled out 10 former drug cops.

Staff-Sgt. John Schertzer and detectives Steve Correia, Joseph Miched,
Raymond Pollard, Rick Benoit and Ned Maodus collectively face 40
criminal charges in the scandal, while four other officers are named
as unindicted co-conspirators.

CIVIL LAWSUIT

Several of those charges relate to Quigley.

Quigley alleges in a civil lawsuit that he was beaten by Schertzer's
team after his gunpoint arrest April 30, 1998.

In a statement of claim, Quigley alleges that after he confessed to
having drugs, Schertzer accused him of being a grower and punched him
in "the face and stomach." It is alleged that Quigley's head hit a
wall and he "blacked out."

Quigley alleges that after he regained consciousness, Schertzer was
joined by Benoit and Maodus and they beat him so fiercely he "feared
they were trying to kill him."

DENY WRONGDOING

Quigley alleges after the beating he needed to be taken by ambulance
to Sunnybrook hospital.

Police later ransacked Quigley's home and took money from a safety
deposit box, Quigley alleges.

Allegations in a statement of claim have not been proven in court and
in a statement of defence filed last January, the six officers
acknowledge the arrest, but deny any wrongdoing.

In a Police Services Act hearing notice, internal affairs officers
allege that Cieslik was ordered to answer questions about the incident
after he was summoned to the RCMP-led task force's rented office at
951 Wilson Ave. in September 2003.

Chief Julian Fantino, who initiated the RCMP-led task force three
years ago, said in January that internal charges were pending. Cieslik
appears at an internal tribunal April 28.