Saturday, August 23, 2008

 

"I will address what the Battershill fuss was all about," says Dirk Ryneveld

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BATTERSHILL HEARING WOULD SPARK LEGAL FIGHT: RYNEVELD

Lindsay Kines
Times Colonist: Saturday, August 23, 2008

B.C.'s police complaint commissioner expects a lengthy court battle if he decides to call a public hearing into the case of former Victoria police chief Paul Battershill.

Dirk Ryneveld said yesterday that he has already received letters from lawyers warning that he lacks jurisdiction under the Police Act to call such a hearing.

Ryneveld declined to identify the lawyers or whom they are representing.

"They're letting me know what their position would be," he said. "It's not a threat; it's nothing. It's just lawyers do that to each other by saying, 'By the way, this would be our position if you were to make that decision.' "

Ryneveld said he has to weigh whether to spend taxpayers' money fighting for the right to hold a public hearing into the high-profile case. In the end, the court would be clarifying the Police Act, which the government plans to amend anyway, he said.

"Is it worth spending money to fight an issue that's a moot point at the end of the day?" he said.

Ryneveld hopes to release his decision and the reasons for it on Aug. 29 or Sept. 2. His summary will set out the background of the case, how he came to get involved, and why the RCMP was asked to investigate allegations against Battershill.

"I'll analyze whether or not I have the jurisdiction to call a public hearing and, if so, whether it's in the public interest," he said. "And then I will try to address, in a general way, what the fuss was all about, because I think I'm kind of the only source left."

{SNIP} ...

Ryneveld said yesterday that, under normal circumstances, it would be the Victoria Police Board's job to let the public know what happened. "But they contracted their way out of that," he said. "So that left it to me."

"I have my job to do and I will do it regardless of who has done their job or who hasn't done their job or who has leaked information."

Ryneveld said recent news reports will not influence his final decision.

"I will be doing what I can, as much as I can, because I understand the public's desire for information," he said.

lkines@tc.canwest.com

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=90b9c60f-5159-4b3d-bd42-7277004f7193

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! My Visitor-Counting device just clocked the 77,777th person arriving on this web-site. - BC Mary.

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Comments:
Of course their will be lawyers involved.And I'll bet more than one of them will be government lawyers.
I'd like to put my vote behind the Commissioner going forth all the way. After all this government has pissed away all our resources including finances. What have we got to lose? Get the job done and get the facts out there.
I also am in complete agreement with whistleblowerbc.
 
Don't be surprised if Reyneveld's office gets broken in to in the next week !!!! This has tentacles all over !
 
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Right!

Maybe Friday afternoon, before the long Labour Day Weekend, will be the Public Affairs Monitors' choice for another blockbuster Liberal/Reform story.
 
Hi Mary, it was just released and is on the Police Commissioner's webiste. You were right, it is full of comments about "certain private persons of influence who have their own agendas and who seem only too ready to make unfortunate allegations and accusations", "private agendas", "camps", "an appearance of conflict, not an actual conflict", etc. WOW
 
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Anonymous 2:54,

Many thanks!!

Could you give us the URL for the story you mention?

Looking up Victoria Police Commissioner, I can see no current story there.

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I don't have the url but it is under OPCC I think it is, the whole thing is there in a pdf file. It was definitely an organized attempt to harm him.
 
Hi Mary, a link to Ryneveld's decision is on the Times Colonist website now but surprise surprise their story doesn't really match the decision.
 
Now the dots are starting to connect. One of the Senior Officers has a very very close "relationship" with Gerald Hartwig!!!
 
Hi Mary, I just read Mr. Ryneveld's decision, who are "certain private persons of influence...." ????
 
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