Police were prepared for fallout of spreading fake info: witness
A Montreal police internal affairs investigator found himself having to explain what his police force would have done if fake information they created, and hoped would be published, ever actually became news.
Det.-Lt. Normand Borduas was in his fourth day before the Chamberland Commission on Thursday when he was asked a series of questions concerning a plan the Internal Affairs Division put in place in an effort to determine how sensitive information from Montreal police investigations was being leaked to a reporter, or reporters, with La Presse and TVA.
The plan involved circulating false information among Montreal police detectives who were suspected of being the leaks. Spreading the false information was called a “provocation technique” and the Montreal police had a plan in place in case the information was ever actually published.
Borduas said the police force was ready to deny the information and would thereby be discrediting any journalist who reported it.
“These are things that are possible,” Borduas said while answering a series of questions from Christian Leblanc, a lawyer who is representing several media at the commission, including the Montreal Gazette.
Borduas said that because the fake information was never reported, Leblanc was asking questions about hypothetical situations.
“Did you consider the consequences?” Leblanc asked.
“I don’t see how it could have consequences,” Borduas said, adding leaking such information could come from a case that is already closed.
“Or the investigation (referred to) would itself be fictional.”
The use of the technique is mentioned in a document filed to the commission this week. The Internal Affairs Division wanted to find out who was leaking sensitive information to the media about the Eclipse Squad, a unit that investigates Montreal street gangs.
The investigation began when the Montreal police Internal Affairs Division received information that Det.-Sgt. Fayçal Djelidi, 40, was allegedly placing heroin in the pockets of drug dealers and users as a method to get information from them. Also, according to an affidavit presented to the commission, Djelidi controlled a series of informants for the Montreal police and there were “major anomalies” in his reports from those sources.
An investigation dubbed Project Esquade was launched and while it was underway internal affairs investigators noticed that someone was feeding sensitive information related to the Eclipse Squad to a reporter or reporters. This included details on how a briefcase containing sensitive documents belonging to Commander Patrice Vilceus, the leader of Eclipse, was stolen from his car while he attended a Christmas party ( Vilceus was suspended from the Montreal police this week. Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet said Vilceus was suspended after Pichet received information from the Sûreté du Québec.).
Borduas told the commission this week that the leaks about Eclipse to the media touched off a second investigation dubbed Project Espion, the French word for spy. Borduas said the choice of the name was a coincidence, even though he ultimately obtained warrants to have access to La Presse reporter Patrick Lagacé’s phone calls and text messages. While investigating Djelidi, investigators learned he had called Lagacé often.
The document, titled Investigation Plan, describes how the Internal Affairs Division also wanted to know how La Presse received information on how police officers who worked under Vilceus had filed a complaint alleging he obstructed justice by trying to prevent two brothers from being charged with crimes. The Investigation Plan was prepared by Det.Sgt. Iad Hanna, another internal affairs investigator. On Thursday, Hanna began his testimony before the commission but was only left with enough time to describe how he joined the division.
Borduas said they suspected another police officer who knew Djelidi was the source of the leak and that Djelidi, in turn, was transmitting the information to Lagacé.
Djelidi was arrested in July last year, and currently faces charges of perjury, obstructing justice, breach of trust and obtaining sexual services from a person. His preliminary inquiry is scheduled to begin in June.
Hanna is scheduled to resume his testimony on Friday.