CALGARY SUN
Last Updated: October 29, 2010 6:32pm
By KEVIN MARTIN
The Crown is considering seeking an arrest warrant for an elderly Quebec priest, set to face trial in connection with a Calgary scam, who has gone missing.
Prosecutor Photini Papadatou told court Friday the Surete du Quebec, to whom father Gilles Dube is supposed to be reporting, hasn’t heard from him since April.
Papadatou said Dube, 83, is required to check-in monthly to the provincial police force as a condition of his bail pending trial.
She also told Justice Beth Hughes the head of the archdiocese that posted Dube’s $5,000 bail hasn’t heard from him either.
“I am very reluctant to ask for a warrant for this man without an explanation,” Papadatou said.
“I received word from the Surete du Quebec that Father Dube had stopped reporting in April.”
The prosecutor said police in Quebec report they’ve gone to Dube’s home and his vehicle has been spotted in the same place each time.
“There’s one of three possibilities,” Papadatou said.
“He’s with us and he’s not coming to court, he’s is no longer with us, or he is coming to court.”
Papadatou asked that Dube’s case be adjourned to Dec. 3, to determine why he has gone missing.
In May, Dube’s preliminary inquiry in Calgary provincial court had to proceed in his absence after defence counsel Joan Blumer said he was confused about the need to return for its continuation.
Blumer told Hughes she had no explanation for her client’s absence.
Dube is charged with two other individuals in connection with a scheme which allegedly duped Alberta Dr. Frederick Van Rooyen out of $500,000.
Papadatou told Hughes it’s alleged Dube was the “money man” in the scam.
Also charged are Jean Pierre Bellefeuille and Jamie Jie Tong Yu in connection with events between April 1, and July 31, 2006.
All three face a fraud charge and are scheduled to stand trial before a jury next March.
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Your Comments
So, why is it that Priests are somehow “above the law?”
Their “church” councils families of abused children NOT to go to the authorities, and then that same church will “transfer” a pedophile priest to another area. . . . . and not even warn the new “flock” about his deviancy.
Here, a spineless judge wants “real reasons” to put out a warrant on a priest who has (allegedly) committed crimes, and now can’t be found. So what is delay? Does this spineless lick spittle of judge want to give this guy a real good head start?
Perhaps the judge is taking advise from another priest?
Bubba, October 29th 2010, 9:24pm
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Accused fraudster confused about legal process, lawyer says
By KEVIN MARTIN, Calgary Sun
Last Updated: May 4, 2010 5:38pm
The elderly Quebec priest charged in an alleged Calgary scam is confused about the legal process and unable to travel, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Defence counsel Joan Blumer told court she was finally able to speak to her client with the assistance of a French interpreter.
“He’s not able to travel,” Blumer said, of Father Gilles Dube.
“He thought it was all finished and he didn’t have to come back,” Blumer said.
“He’s very confused about the process.”
On Monday, provincial court Judge Anne Brown declared Dube an absconding suspect after he failed to show up for the continuation of his preliminary inquiry on a fraud charge.
Brown delayed determining whether to issue a warrant for his arrest until Blumer could get to the bottom of why he was a no-show.
Blumer told Brown she received instructions from Dube to waive any issues of identification which might come up during the rest of the hearing.
As a result, the judge said the hearing could continue in his absence, with Blumer acting as his agent.
At Blumer’s request, Brown imposed a publication ban on the evidence being presented by Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou.
Dube, 83, is charged along with two others in connection with a scheme which allegedly duped Alberta Dr. Frederick Van Rooyen out of $500,000.
Also charged are Jean Pierre Bellefeuille and Jamie Jie Tong Yu in connection with events between April 1, and July 31, 2006.
All three face a single charge of fraud.
The preliminary hearing is expected to conclude on Wednesday.
kevin.martin@sunmedia.ca
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Accused fraudster priest a no-show at hearing
Calgary Sun
Last Updated: May 3, 2010 5:56pm
By KEVIN MARTIN
The preliminary inquiry into allegations a Quebec priest was involved in a Calgary con proceeded Monday in his absence.
Provincial court Judge Anne Brown granted a Crown application to declare Father Gilles Dube as an absconding accused.
But Brown granted defence lawyer Joan Blumer’s request to hold off on issuing an arrest warrant for the elderly cleric until she can determine why he was a no-show.
“I don’t know if he’s taken ill, or he became confused, or there was a delay in his flight,” Blumer said, in response to prosecutor Photini Papadatou’s request.
“My suspicion is something has gone wrong with his travel arrangements,” Blumer said.
Brown agreed with Papadatou to take the rare step of continuing with the calling of evidence in Dube’s absence.
“I’m going to declare Father Dube absconding and we will continue the inquiry,” Brown said.
“I will not direct a warrant at this time.”
Dube, 83, is charged with two other individuals in connection with a scheme which allegedly duped Alberta Dr. Frederick Van Rooyen out of $500,000.
Also charged are Jean Pierre Bellefeuille and Jamie Jie Tong Yu in connection with events between April 1, and July 31, 2006.
All three face a single charge of fraud.
Both Bellefeuille and Yu, who like Dube are free on bail, were present in court for the continuation of the hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to order them to trial.
At Blumer’s request there is a publication ban on evidence called at the hearing, which is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday.
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Priest charged with fraud gets bail
AM 770
EDMONTON/630 CHED
4/24/2008
A Catholic priest charged with allegedly bilking a man of $500,000 in an investment scam has been granted bail in Calgary.
The judge says Father Gilles Dube could go back home to Quebec to await trial. Dube was granted bail, if he posted five-thousand dollars cash.
But he has to stay with a priest in Calgary until travel arrangements are made. Two other men were also arrested in the scam.
It’s alleged one of them posed as a doctor to drum up investment, supposedly to build clinics in Calgary and BC.
It’s alleged the money raised went through Dube, who was introduced to investors as a psychiatrist. (The Canadian Press, jk)
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Priest charged in Calgary fraud granted bail
CALGARY – A judge has granted bail to an 81-year-old Montreal priest and two other people charged with defrauding a Calgary doctor of $500,000 in an investment scheme dealing with bogus medical clinics.
Provincial court Judge Anne Brown ordered the release of Gilles Dube on $5,000 cash on Wednesday after an agreement by Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou and defence lawyer Joan Blumer.
Jean Bellefeuille, 54, and Jamie Jie Tong Yu, 39, were previously ordered released if they posted $20,000 and $10,000 non-cash assets, respectively.
Bellefeuille had yet to raise his bail when he appeared by closed-circuit television on Wednesday.
All three accused face one count of fraud over $5,000 for allegedly bilking Dr. Frederick Van Rooyen out of the money in the scheme set up by Bellefeuille.
Dube allegedly posed as a retired psychiatrist under a fictitious name, who introduced the victim to Bellefeuille.
Bellefeuille apparently set up the medical clinics to induce local doctors, builders and members of the real estate community to work for them.
The alleged culprits would then advise the potential victims that they had a substantial investment opportunity and invited the doctors to become involved.
Once they got the money, they would abscond with it.
Dube must reside with a priest in Calgary until he can return to Quebec to await the next step in the legal process.
All three accused will be back in court on May 13.
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Catholic priest in the centre of Alberta fraud trial
AM 770 Edmonton
EDMONTON/630 CHED
4/17/2008
An Alberta fraud trial has been told that an elderly Catholic priest is at the centre of an alleged fraud scheme that saw an Alberta doctor bilked of $500,000.
The prosecutor says 81-year-old Father Gilles Dube of Montreal is one of three people allegedly involved in a plan to lure investments in bogus medical clinics. The Crown says all of the money .went through Father Dube, who was pretending to be a psychiatrist.
Dube is charged along with two others with defrauding Dr. Frederick Van Rooyen. The priest has been in custody since April 4th and is awaiting his release on bail. (The Canadian Press, jk)
This three has defraud alot of people in British Columbia. But not enough proof for trial.
I was defraud by this two Bellefeuille and Jaimee Yu. But here they use real estate and left me hanging with the bill. I lost Money and business credit. Almost loss the house.
I hope they get a long term jail. These people won’t change they will keep on defraud other people. Bellefeuille has been in jail before and work with other defraud in the state.
Thank you for that information Jan. It sounds as though the three had quite a scam going?
Does anyone know what happened to the charges against Dube? I will see if I can find anything over the next few days, but any info which could be sent my way by someone in the know would be greatly appreciated.
Is Dube another fugtive priest? or, has he been ‘found’?
His name belongs on the Accused list: I will see that it is added within next few days.