Bruno Manser Fund’s record request rejected

OTTAWA: The Ontario Superior Court has dismissed an application by the Swiss-based activist group, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), for a Norwich Pharmacal order, which sought banking records of a private Canadian company, Sakto Corporation.

In a statement issued by GRA Communications yesterday, Sakto Corp counsel Duncan Fraser said the judge had ruled that Canadian law did not allow foreign “vigilante citizens’ groups” to circumvent the Canadian constitution and get access to private records.

He said the judge ruled that this was especially so “where they do not have evidence any crime was committed”.

The application had been brought by Lukas Straumann and BMF, who had, for many years, carried out sustained attacks on Sakto Corp.

This included repeated complaints to authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the British police and several Canadian authorities, which had all rejected BMF’s demands.

“Now, in spite of its years of activism and publicity, BMF has conceded to the Canadian Court that it does not have the evidence to support its scandalous allegations,” Fraser said.

“For BMF, they face the fact that the US$100,000 (RM586,000) they were ordered to post in advance as security for costs is available to reimburse the responding parties for some of the costs of this proceeding. Their own legal costs will have been substantial.”

He said Sakto Corp was a Canadian family business that had operated to the highest ethical standards and in full compliance with Canadian laws.

Sakto Corp is a real estate holding and investment firm founded and located here.

Fraser said with the decision, the matter was considered closed.

In spite of its years of activism and publicity, BMF has conceded to the Canadian Court that it does not have the evidence to support its scandalous allegations.

Sakto Corp counsel