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Amnesty International slams Canada after Horace homicide – CTV News London

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LONDON, ONT. —
On the heels of the death of Bill Horace, an alleged warlord living in London, Amnesty International says that Canada “washes its hands of responsibility” when it comes to adequately prosecuting alleged war criminals.

But MPs say that prosecuting alleged war criminals is of high importance, but emphasize the difficulty of gathering evidence to convict alleged war criminals in Canadian courts.

Bill Horace, who was shot dead in London in late June, had ties to a rebel group in Liberia whose alleged war crimes were under investigation, but Horace was never charged by Canadian officials.

Law professor at McGill University, Sébastien Jodoin, helped draft the report in the No Safe Haven series by Amnesty International, that says war crimes programs are grossly underfunded and underused.

“The governments own sort of review program says, ‘We are not doing enough, and it’s because we don’t have enough money.’”

Jodoin says that the annual budget of $15.6 million is used mostly on deporting alleged war criminals than investigating them, because it’s more cost-effective.

London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos says that anytime there are possible war criminals living in Canada, “That’s a deep concern and they must be prosecuted.”

Fragiskatos says the challenge is carrying out an effective prosecution and getting a guilty verdict.

“In these cases it would be necessary for Canadian lawyers to go to the country in question and gather evidence, that all hinges on whether or not the country’s government gives permission.”

He adds that gathering credible evidence is an issue of itself, “Getting access to the sites where alleged crimes took place can be very hard, getting access to documents that would establish a pattern of criminality…is often extremely difficult if not impossible.”

An evaluation of the program by Canada’s Department of Justice found that Canada is meeting its international obligation, but adds, “Several key informants were critical of Canada’s preference for immigration remedies, arguing this approach displaces international criminals, but does not hold them accountable.”

The $15.6 million per year budget for the war crimes program has not increased since its inception in 1998, while Amnesty International say the cost of an investigation that would lead to criminal prosecution has only risen in Canada.

“People prefer the idea of not thinking about this and they don’t want these people to come here…out of sight out of mind, but I think we are better than that as a country and we have a record of combatting impunity and being apart of international justice and I think we should do our part,” says Jodoin.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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