Wiretaps in Toronto police corruption case released

Last Updated: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 | 10:47 PM ET

CBC News

Recordings of wiretapped phone calls that formed the basis of the Crown's corruption case against two Toronto police officers can now be revealed because charges against the two were thrown out.

On Monday, Superior Court Justice Bonnie Croll stayed corruption charges against William McCormack Jr., Rick McIntosh and George Kouroudis, ruling that the case was taking too long to go to trial.

The officers were charged with multiple offences in 2003, including influence peddling and breach of trust. McCormack and McIntosh were charged with soliciting and accepting bribes from nightclub owners in the entertainment district.

Kouroudis was a police constable who also ran a club called Lotus in the entertainment district.

The Crown's case against McCormack and McIntosh was largely based on wiretap recordings of the officers. CBC News obtained copies of those recordings years ago, but couldn't make them available to the public because they were subject to a publication ban.

Now that the charges have been stayed, the ban no longer stands.

Officers co-operated, Crown alleges

In one recording, McIntosh contacts McCormack on New Year's Eve 2003 and leaves a message that the Crown alleges was about how the two would split the payoffs from a pub.

"Hey Billy, it's Rick. Listen, give me a call back and let me know if you met with Dan. I don't want any of the money if you got four or less — four thousand or less. Keep it. Just take it all off your end. I've got a plan for me to get the rest off him."

In another tape, McCormack is heard speaking to club owner Joe Gagliano in January 2004.

"I called you for a huge, huge, huge, huge, huge favour," McCormack said. "I blew the transmission on my van.

"It's $1,200-plus cash, and I got to get the [expletive] thing out tonight," he said, adding later: "I was hoping you might be able to front me something."

"I have some people who owe me some money," Gagliano replied. "I just thought I could snap up a few hundred here and there."

Prosecutors argued the tapes proved McCormack and McIntosh shook down bar owners for cash in exchange for favours and advance notice of inspections.

Judge blames prosecution

The judge said it was mainly the fault of the prosecution that it took six years to bring the case to court. She blamed the lead police investigator for the lengthy delays.

The Crown now has 30 days to review the case and decide whether to launch an appeal. Lawyers for both McCormack and McIntosh declined to be interviewed.

McCormack, 50, is a son of former Toronto police chief William McCormack and brother of current police union chief Mike McCormack. McIntosh, 55, is a former head of the police union.

This is the second time in two years that corruption charges have been stayed against Toronto police officers.

In January 2008, Crown delays led to charges being stayed against six former members of the drug squad. That ruling was overturned on appeal in October 2009.