The record, 25 mars 1998, mercredi 25 mars 1998

THE See our JOBS IN FOCUS page in today’s 60 CENTS Townships Digest Reform’s Liberal patronage appointment list On Tuesday, the Reform party released a list titled “Club Chrétien” of 111 people it termed “Loyal Liberals” who have been appointed to plum government jobs.The list of appointments covering the last year is subtitled “Membership has its privileges.” The following is a smattering of Quebec politicians who made the list.For more on the story, see page 5.• Andre Bachand, Liberal candidate (1988) and long-time riding President in Brome-Missisquoi, now with the National Parole Board.•Lise Bacon, former Quebec Liberal MP, past President of Quebec Liberals: now a Senator.• Michel Bastarache, partner at Lang Mich-ener with Jean Chrétien and Quebec cochair of the “yes” side during the Charlottetown Referendum; now a Justice with the Supreme Court of Canada.• David Berger, former Liberal MP (forced to resign for Lucienne Robillard); now Ambassador to Israel.•Joan Lylian Kouri, former president of Liberal National Woman’s Commission, defeated candidate in Brome-Missiquoi (1993); now with the Immigration and Refugee Board.Today’s Weather Cloudy periods Complete weather: page 2 Inside Ann Landers .18 Community Births and Forum Deaths .17 Sports Classified .20 Theme Page: Comics .19 HEALTH .Crossword .21 The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Coming March 26th Spring & Summer Car Supplement in Wednesday, March 25, 1998 Townships hash headed for Iqualuit Biker arrested in early morning raid PERRY BEATON/CORRESPONDENT François Goupil, 29, of St-Elie, was arrested and will be charged with drug trafficking, conspiracy to traffic drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of those illegal activities.¦ 4.' ÇgsgBSt?silliji SIP: By Rita Legault Rock Forest Local RCMP officers arrested a full-fledged member of the Hell’s Angels Tuesday in connection with a drug ring they say was distributing hashish from the Eastern Townships in the Northwest Territories.François Goupil, 29, of St-Elie, was arrested and will be charged with drug trafficking, conspiracy to traffic drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of those illegal activities.Police say Goupil, for whom there was an outstanding arrest warrant from Iqaluit, was a “color-wearing” member of the Lennoxville chapter of the notorious biker gang.Sherbrooke RCMP spokesman Sgt.Denis Roy said that Goupil was one of the leaders of a drug ring that was selling hashish from the Sherbrooke area in Iqaluit, an isolated town on Baffin Island formerly known as Frobisher Bay.Hell’s Angel garb Roy said the early morning raid in St-Elie uncovered about $10,000 in cash.Also found were a leather Hell’s Angels vest bearing the biker gang’s crest on the back and Sherbrooke embroidered on the front as well as a gold pin in the shape of the club’s infamous winged skull logo encrusted with a half dozen diamonds.No drugs or firearms were found on the posh property on Chemin Dion.Also arrested on Tuesday was alleged ringleader Claude Caza, a former Quebecer and Iqaluit businessman who was apparently the Northern connection for the drug ring.Five properties in the Northwest Territories worth between $2.25 and $2.5 million were also seized under legislation which allows police to confiscate the proceeds of crime.The properties included a restaurant and a candy store owned and operated by Caza as well as three residences.A Supreme Court restraining order has been placed on each of the properties until the court has time to determine whether or not they were purchased with laundered drug money.If so, they will be forfeited to the Crown.Valleyfield area RCMP officers also raided a summer cottage in Ste-Barbe owned by Caza.Roy said police uncovered little in that search.Early morning raids in Iqaluit, Pang-nirtung and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories as well as Montreal and Rock Creek, British Columbia led to the arrests of 21 others on drug related charges.Roy said the 23 arrests are the result of Operation Caribou, an investigation that began in Iqaluit two years ago.Roy said the Townships segment of the investigation, which began in the spring of 1997, included wiretaps and police tails of the suspect.Police say the investigation is continuing and that any information of assets, properties, buildings or other valuable assets of the identification of owners in connection with this file will be treated confidentially.Goupil was arrested and detained briefly at the RCMP headquarters in Rock Forest were he spoke with a lawyer.Fie was later to the Sherbrooke airport where he was escorted onto a RCMP jet to be transported to Iqaluit where he will face trial along with his alleged coconspirators. page 2 Wednesday, March 25, 1998 PM has first hand experience with libel laws Manning wise not to take his comments outside We expect the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition to poke, jab and provoke the Prime Minister in his search for the truth about potential scandals.However, Preston Manning crossed the forbidden line in the House of Commons.He implied publicly that Jean Chrétien received a pay-off for appointing Ross Fitzpatrick to the Senate.He alleged a kindly, speedy profit of $45,000 on the sale of shares in Fitzpatrick’s company, keeping us on our toes for almost a week as we wondered when he would reveal the missing links.Maybe Manning’s excesses can be excused; lately he has had a hard time finding a meaty bone to pick.He tried to capitalize on the Speaker’s dumb remarks on Cuba.That provoked a few headlines and then thanks to a timely apology the story fazed out.Then we were introduced to two weeks of flag waving theatrics and some history lessons on patriotism; now everything is history.Finally, Manning’s allegations inside the House of Commons sounded like he was aiming for Chretien's jugular by alleging that the appointment had been bought 11 years ago.When he couldn’t back up his allegations outside of the Commons, the assault was watered down to a condemnation of a sleazy patronage appointment.Somehow, when questioned by the media outside of the Commons , Manning still managed to dangle the notion of a financial benefit in one hand and a political favor in the other hand but without ever having the slightest proof that they were linked.After receiving no doubt a crash course on our libel laws, Manning claimed that the whole purpose of the exercise was not to attack Chretien personally.It was to give him an added inducement to stop making appointments to the Senate based on patronage and cronyism.Such a change in strategy outside of the Commons obviously had everything Today’s Weather \ Thutiord.Mines •* -