Hearings resume at 0930 hours (9:30 am) this morning, Thursday, 17 January 2008. First we will get and ODE to Malcolm MacDonald. The former probation officer Jos Van Diepen will take the stand.
Malcolm MacDonald, an “alleged”paedophile, was the lawyer who represented Father Charles MacDonald (no known relationship) in brokering the illegal $32,000 diocesan pay-off of Charlie’s “alleged” victim David Silmser. Three lawyers were involved in negotiating and/or finalizing the deal. Many felt Malcolm was singled out to take the fall. He eventually pled guilty to a charge of obstruction of justice and received an absolute discharge. He died before standing trial on a number of counts of sexual abuse.
An ODE is an overview of the documentary evidence which is available to the commission. I personally look forward to hearing Malcolm’s. I personally am hopefully we will learn what relationship if any existed between Malcolm and Cornwall Crown attorney Murray MacDonald.
And yes, there are indeed a LOT of MacDonalds in Cornwall. A LOT. At times the only recourse in writing is to identify each by first name.
Jos Van Diepen was a probation officer in Cornwall who worked with both Nelson Barque and Ken seguin. He retained a lawyer and was recently granted limited standing at the inquiry.
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Yesterday was a long long day. Hearings wrapped up at 1805 hours (6:05 pm). I am sure Garry Guzzo was exhausted. I certainly was. By the time I got supper on the table and took care of a few more postings I had had it for the day :).
I realize yet again that this inquiry will never get to the truth because it is not specifically mandated to dig into the allegations of a paedophile ring and cover-up which have plagued the community. Had that been the mandate this inquiry would have been a horse of a different colour. And mark my words Perry Dunlop would have testified. And yes, by now, over $20M and more than two years into the exercise we’d know who rubbed shoulders with Claude Shaver, and Jacques Leduc, and Charlie MacDonald, and Father Paul Lapierre, and Bishop Eugene Larocque, and Ken Seguin, and Father Don Scott, and Father Ken Martin, and Sandy Lawrence etc etc etc. By now their every word and deed would have been parsed, dissected and scrutinized under the microscope. By now we’d know or at least have a darn good idea who did or not travel to Florida at the same time, and who did or did not paddle over to Malcolm MacDonald’s porn ridden cottage on Stanley Island, and who did or did not meet at Harv’s Diner, and the Jade restaurant. And by now we’d no doubt have heard from some of the countless victims out there who would have come forward with their sex abuse allegations against those already accused and from other victims with their allegations against other pillars of the community as yet not publicly identified.
We, or at least the gathered throng, might even have seen some home-made porn 🙁
The bottom line is that if the desire was there to dig in to find the truth, we’d know.
The inquiry should have been mandated to inquire into allegations of a paedophile ring and cover-up. It was not..
It should have been a joint Federal-Provincial inquiry to allow scrutiny of the conduct and Cornwall-connections of the federally-appointed Project Truth trial judges. It is not.
The inquiry should have been headed by an out of province judge. It is not.
The Ministry of the Attorney General should have had no role to play in commissioning the inquiry or drafting the mandate. It did.
So frustrating.
Anyway, for now Garry Guzzo’s testimony can be accessed here. I will try to get back to it.
Keep an eye on New to the Site on the Home page. I will start to post today’s media coverage now.
Enough for now,
Sylvia
(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)
During the grilling of Gary Guzzo the lawyer Ms Robitaille entered Sylvia’s letter about Judicial Conflict of Interest as an exhibit and asked Mr Guzzo if he had helped Sylvia to draft the letter.
Imagine it! How low could Gary Guzzo stoop to actually help out that evil Sylvia MacEachern!!!
After a discussion about the propriety of citizens challenging judges Guzzo replied that it would not be inappropriate to talk to Sylvia and then explained that Mr Justice McKinnon was a personal friend and he would not have helped write the letter out of this friendship.
The lawyer summed it up. “Conflicted Out, in essence.” which Mr Guzzo agreed with.
At this point Sherrif Scott could not longer bear to watch, he lowered his head down on the desk.
It was not a proud scene for the inquiry. They are scraping the bottom of the barrel for something to charge whistleblowers and their helpers with. Sylvia – watch your back!
GARRY GUZZO: “SELF SACRFICE” January 17, 2008
From a different perspective: I believe, the “semi-retired”, Mr.GARY GUZZO, may have chosen to, at “ANY RISK” of “sanctions” and knowing very well he would be severely criticized by the news media, opportunistic lawyers and the watching public,…save his “sources” from being disclosed and subsequently, “destroyed”. (a brave act or…..??)YOU DECIDE.
Mr. Guzzo’s actions or inactions, may compel important “witnesses” and “collaborators” of Mr. Guzzo’s, including others, with significant testimony and evidence, to, come forward.
Does anyone really believe for a second, Mr. Guzzo is so incompetent or the “self-serving fool”, as being portrayed by some lawyers and the news media? Lawyers, who could have a lot to lose, or otherwise.
So what? Mr. Guzzo is a terrible records-keeper and he states he didn’t interview certain “parties” to “validate or confirm” I suppose. It still doesn’t change “the facts”, “the allegations” of sexual abuse in Cornwall and Area. I mean, wouldn’t it be great to interview the many who are currently, gagged under publication bans or AFRAID?!?!?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT: A wise man once told me, if I were ever concerned about notes, facts, disclosing “sources”/personalities, and, worried about the disclosure of other information, then “don’t keep notes”. However, he said, “you better have a good “support system”, “memory or no memory.” This “wise man” also said, this “cya” “m.o.” is practiced much more today, than I would like to believe….this man was a well respected lawyer and politician. BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!
BUT, the lawyers and their supporters” will certainly “SPIN” Mr. Guzzo’s testimony. THE point is, I believe there is A LOT of information and people AFRAID to speak out and/or being suppressed. I also strongly believe Mr. Guzzo will be vindicated!! I believe, the issues, personalities who are/could be “implicated” are, “BIG TIME” to say the least. Mark my words!!