Justice Laing has stated that Sgt. Murray Zoorkan, a 27-year veteran with the Saskatoon police, conducted a Rambo style investigation against postal worker Kim Allan Cooper of Saskatoon. Cooper was accused of having stolen a money packet containing $184,500 which was mailed on October 6, 1996 from the Credit Union Central in Regina to a Saskatoon branch. Cooper was first targeted as a suspect for the theft of the $184,500 by Sgt. Zoorkan, then he was subsequently subjected to abuses by the police and eventually he was formally charged with theft on December 21, 1998. Cooper was fired one day later from work.

The only evidence against Cooper was a statement he wrote on May 6, 1997. In this statement, Cooper wrote that a money packet arrived in Saskatoon, that he contacted his supervisor and that he was told by the supervisor to leave the money on the table since he could not get the safe open. After two years of investigation by the police and Canada Post no evidence was ever found that the packet ever left Regina. Cooper, his wife and his family have endured a awful nightmare which has changed their lives and their thoughts about the integrity of the Saskatoon police and the behaviour of Canada Post.

In his March 8 decision, Queen's Bench Justice Laing stated that Zoorkan lied when he claimed that he accidentally left the microphone turned off during the first interview with Cooper. Laing also noted that Zoorkan didn't tell Cooper of his right to have a lawyer present in this interview. The abuses Cooper had to endure included random visits by the police at his home, being given orders to stay in police cars for hours, being swore at, being told his family would be destroyed. At one time, Sgt. Brian Dueck told Cooper that the Hells Angels knew he had $184,500 in cash and that they would go after his wife and get the money when he was at work. Justice Laing characterized the actions of Sgt. Zoorkan as those of "a police officer out of control." Justice Laing has also said "the evidence indicates, in my mind, a police officer operating without any sense of decency or conscience." I am very happy we have judges defending our rights for our freedom and who have no hesitation to condemn the wrong doings of the police.

We wish Kim Cooper, his wife and family best wishes for their future, and our thoughts go to the people who have been harassed by the police and who have been convicted while being innocent.

References

Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sysdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/default.htm

Our Saskatchewan Justice System is Rotten to the Core, by Mario deSantis, February 19, 2000

Democracy and Human Rights in Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, February 23, 2000

An advice to our leaders and bureaucrats: Stop managing by the number game and begin managing by your stories, by Mario deSantis, February 29, 2000

1. A Saskatchewan Way of Justice: leading by the nose till we are stabbed in the back, by Mario deSantis, March 14, 2000

2. Judge slams 'Rambo' investigation: postal worker's name cleared after mail theft charges dropped, by Betty Ann Adam, The StarPhoenix, March 21, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan