Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 24, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba A16 editor Doug Speirs 6977294 saturday free press february 2001 Canada world news continued on around Canada immigration scandal Ottawa Public works minis Ter Alfonso Gagliano faced Calls to relinquish his Post and submit to a Public inquiry yesterday after it was disclosed his office contacted the immigration department on behalf of the wife of a reputed mafia Gagliano should be relieved of his duties pending an i Vestiga bloc quebecois my real Menard told the who was not in the issued a statement saying he never signed any letter or document Charles to visit Ottawa Prince Charles is coming to Canada for a five Day James Palace announced Britain heir to the throne will visit april 2530 and will travel to Saskatchewan and the Northwest Ern in addition to a Stop in it will be the princes first trip to Canada since March Back in business Ottawa Canadian exporters and investors can resume Busi Ness with Serbia after the Federal government removed Yugoslavia from its controlled area list yes the change Means Export per mits Are no longer routinely required for most goods being shipped to the Balkan firetruck rolled Halifax a Volunteer fire fighter who was driving a truck that rolled Over while responding to a fatal fire last fall has been charged with impaired Robert of herring will appear in court March Lavoie was driving the pumper truck on 9 at about when it went out of control at the Bottom of a Grade and rolled from Canadian press around the world sub blame spreads of serious Crew errors aboard the uss Greeneville raise the possibility that blame for the submarine Accident of f Hawaii could be spread beyond the three officers who Are subjects of a formal Navy officials said a Sailor known As the fire control whose Job was to plot the positions of surface ves Sels in the did not inform the subs skipper that sonar read Ings indicated a ship was closing to within shortly after a Periscope search reported nothing of con the Greeneville went ahead with an emergency surfacing Drill and rammed the chime sinking links alleged Paris French prosecutors alleged yesterday an algerian Man with Strong links to Canada is a ringleader of a vast support network for extremists operating across half the Fateh a onetime Montreal resident who holds both Canadian and algerian is also alleged to be linked to Ahmed who entered the United states from Canada in december 1999 in a car loaded with Mideast violence flares Jerusalem on the eve of Secretary of state Colin powells first Mideast palestinians burned israeli tanks shelled palestinian police stations and West Bank gunmen battled israeli powells visit today comes at a time of growing senti ment among palestinians angry Over last weeks air strikes against Iraq and washing tons longtime military and Polit ical backing for Bill buy votes for Hillary commuting of swindlers9 sentences probed new prosecutors Are investigating whether former presi Dent Bill Clinton commuted the sentences of four convicted swindlers in Exchange for hasidic jewish votes for his wife during her run for the the associated press Learned the four men were members of the hasidic Community of new which voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Rod Ham Clinton when she was elected in attorney Mary to White is investigating their commutations As part of a probe that is also said to include the Par Don of fugitive financier Marc according to a source who spoke on condition of Julia a spokeswoman for the former referred All questions to Clin ton attorney David who did not immediately return Calls for senator Clinton has spoken about this Pardon on Sev eral and we do not have anything to add at this said her Karen Hillary Clinton has said previously that she did not discuss the mens Fate with hasidic leaders before the election but sat in on a december meeting with supporters of clemency for she said she played no part in her husbands i did not play any role she said last i had no opinion about it is unusual for a first lady to sit in on a clemency growing furore the commutations Are part of a growing furore Over sever Al of the 140 pardons the president made on his last Day in also under scrutiny Are two pardons for which Hillary Clinton Hugh received two Par dons on which her Campaign treasurer performed Legal work and the possible role of the former presidents Roger in some other Hillary Clinton travelled to new in suburban Rock land during her Senate Campaign and met grand rabbi David Many hasidic communities tend to vote in and because of politicians aggressively court their Clinton received votes in new Square her Republican Rick received continued please see Clinton a17 High court rejects Appeal disgraced senator to resign former senator Eric Berntson leaves the supreme court of Canada in Ottawa yester Day after the court rejected his Appeal of a fraud conviction and a one year jail he will have to resign from the Senate and is expected to begin his sen tence on tues Fred Chartrand Canadian press Berntson forced to serve oneyear jail term by sue Bailey t compiled from Canadian press Ottawa senator Eric Berntson will soon Trade his posh Senate surroundings for a Stark jail cell after the supreme court of Canada dismissed his final bid to beat a fraud conviction and oneyear he must also pay Back in false claims on two government expense allowances when he was Deputy Premier of defence arguments and final deliberation took just 45 minutes yesterday before the High court ruled 50 that Berntson 1999 conviction and sen tence should he has seven Days to turn himself in at the provincial jail in Michael Berntson said the senator will resign his seat Early next with an Annu Al income of about was appointed by for Mer prime minister Brian Mulroney in he declined comment As he fought Back Berntson was not due to retire until he turns 75 in resignation will leave him eligible for an undisclosed senators those who have served six years Only lose benefits if disqualified from the red Senate leaders had refused to remove Berntson despite Calls for his ouster after his conviction until his appeals were a Senate spokeswoman said no sen Ator has Ever been expelled from yesterdays ruling renewed debate Over the upper pension if somebody is convicted of a very serious criminal offence like this they should have to forfeit their pen Saskatchewan nip my lome Nystrom Manitoba senator Sharon Liberal Leader in the said no action can be taken until at least tues Day when Senate business if it is the will of the then it could refer the Issue to the rules committee which would decide expeditiously whether to disqualify Carstairs is against such i think everybody is entitled to pen Sion Protection in i dont think senator Berntson any different than any other individual who pays into his pension and receives benefits As a this conviction has absolutely nothing to do with his performance in the Senate of using a government pension for Mula based on three per cent of a senators highest average yearly multiplied by years of the Canadian taxpayers federation Esti mates Berntson will collect at least a i think we need to draw the line at allowing convicted politicians to col Lect their pensions while in federation director Walter Robinson Secondi command in the provincial government of Grant was the biggest name ensnared in a political scandal that decimated the Saskatchewan Hes one of 16 former provincial politicians and caucus workers convicted of fraud or breach of Trust in scams from 1987 to 1991 that were never linked to Berntson was convicted of one count of fraud for making in false claims on two government expense the trial judge found that Berntson funnelled the Money into Berriedale management a Shell company he where it was withdrawn for personal Canadian press gardens paedophile gets Protection by James Mccarten Toronto threats against Gordon Stuckless prompted parole officials to take Steps yesterday to protect the convicted Maple Leaf gardens paedophile on his first Day of left the minimum Secu Rity Pittsburgh institution in Early yesterday after serving the mandatory two thirds of a five year prison he was expected at a rundown East Toronto apartment building where he was to live with family and have daily visits with a parole officer for the remaining 20 months of his but threatening messages left overnight for officials in the parole division of correctional services have prompted a change of said spokes woman Theresa there were threats received on an answering machine in the parole office where people suspected he was Westfall said As a the parole office is in threat assessment Stuckless is in a secret location and officials Are keeping close tabs on both he and the mood of his potential if Stuckless is deemed to be in genuine correctional services May have to find him a new she Monitor his Monitor the mood of the Public because obviously there furious and if things Contin there going to have to take a second look at his release she its literally a Day byway things could options include moving to another parole office where the conditions of his release and his treatment needs can still be or a Halfway House if things dont she Westfall refused to disclose the whereabouts of the last thing we need to do is con tribute to harm coming to this were trying to protect the Public and him throughout the Media Crews sat parked outside the Eastend building where Stuckless was supposed to make an but Only a a Politi neighbourhood residents and even one of Stuckless original victims showed up to express their outrage and it is time for All of us to realize who is about to move Back in said Allan who was victimized by stuck less As a we talk More about the Protection and privacy of Gordon Stuckless than we do the Protection and privacy of any Young male in this neighbourhood Between the Ages of 11 and John Stuckless said correctional services officials abandoned plans to go to the apartment build ing when Media outlets began descending on the area As Early As 5 they certainly dont want to Send him Home Given whats happened at his Scarfe i think its outrageous that a who has paid his debt to when lawfully is unable to come Home because of the actions of the Canadian press ;