A lawyer from the Toronto area, accused of advising on the murder of a federal witness tied to an alleged international drug smuggling operation, will remain out on bail after Ontario’s highest court rejected the Crown’s request to revoke his release.
The Attorney General of Canada’s lawyers asked the Ontario Court of Appeal to order Deepak Paradkar’s detention until his extradition hearing, claiming that the judge who allowed him bail last December “speculated and drew inferences” not based on evidence.
Prosecutors argued that this intervention was crucial to “restore public confidence in the justice system,” ensure safety for the public, and help Canada fulfill its treaty obligations related to the case.
Both sides also wanted new evidence included during the bail review that took place in April.
In a ruling issued Thursday, the Appeal Court agreed to accept this new evidence, which included updated documents provided by U. S. authorities.
However, they dismissed the Crown’s application for a review, finding no mistakes in Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden’s handling of the case or his decision.
WATCH | Paradkar was released on bail in December:
Ontario lawyer linked to alleged Ryan Wedding drug ring granted bail
Deepak Paradkar, a Brampton attorney said to be associated with fugitive Ryan Wedding, received bail on Dec. 23 from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The 62-year-old faces accusations regarding his involvement in Wedding’s international drug trafficking scheme, including counseling Wedding on how to kill a witness.
Paradkar was among several Canadians arrested last fall as part of an extensive FBI effort targeting one of its then-most wanted fugitives, former Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding.
Wedding, once an Olympic snowboarder now facing allegations of leading an international drug operation, was taken into U. S. custody in January. He’s accused of ordering multiple murders, including that of a witness who might testify against him in a narcotics case.
Prosecutors allege that Paradkar, a defense attorney from Thornhill near Toronto, advised Wedding about killing a federal witness and introduced him to drug traffickers facilitating product movement across North America.
He’s also said to have directed efforts at gathering intelligence after law enforcement seized drugs belonging to their organization.
What we know about the Brampton lawyer arrested in the case of Ryan WeddingBrampton lawyer Deepak Paradkar was among those arrested in connection with ongoing investigations into Ryan Wedding, an alleged Canadian drug lord. CBC’s Greg Ross breaks down what we know so far.
The Appeal Court noted that both Paradkar and his wife were questioned about their income sources and assets while providing explanations regarding how they acquired them over time.
“While it was suggested that their admitted sources of income and their lifestyle and assets did not ‘add up,’ this was far from an inevitable conclusion on the record,” stated the court.
The main question wasn’t whether Paradkar had enough money for escape but rather “whether he had any reason to do so,” according to what they wrote.
“Mr. Paradkar’s incentive to stay in Canada and follow his bail terms while attending court was deemed by the application judge as a ‘compelling reason’ proving Mr. Paradkar met his burden concerning flight risk,” it added.
Bawden also evaluated whether Paradkar’s wife could serve as an appropriate surety; findings made were supported by available evidence.
The Crown claimed Bawden relied too much on speculation when assessing whether there was any flight risk posed by Paradkar. For instance they mentioned how he concluded that if he went into hiding Paradkar would struggle accessing medical care for diabetes and heart issues.
The Appeal Court sided with Paradkar’s legal team arguing that if Bawden speculated at all it was only based on hypothetical scenarios: suggesting Mr. Paradkar might seek refuge within some foreign drug cartel or use undisclosed resources enabling him escape Canada or even go underground here.”
Pardakar continues asserting he’s innocent and “will mount a vigorous defence” against charges raised both in Canada and U. S., according to statements made by his lawyer Ravin Pillay told CBC back in December.
Pillay pointed out that much of what’s being presented against Paradkar relies “almost entirely” on information from someone cooperating who may have been involved criminally themselves.
Pillay noted there are no wiretaps or shared communications found within disclosed material tying Paradkar directly into these charges.
Source link
Ontario lawyer linked to alleged Ryan Wedding drug ring granted bail
Deepak Paradkar, a Brampton attorney said to be associated with fugitive Ryan Wedding, received bail on Dec. 23 from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The 62-year-old faces accusations regarding his involvement in Wedding’s international drug trafficking scheme, including counseling Wedding on how to kill a witness.
Paradkar was among several Canadians arrested last fall as part of an extensive FBI effort targeting one of its then-most wanted fugitives, former Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding.
Wedding, once an Olympic snowboarder now facing allegations of leading an international drug operation, was taken into U. S. custody in January. He’s accused of ordering multiple murders, including that of a witness who might testify against him in a narcotics case.
Prosecutors allege that Paradkar, a defense attorney from Thornhill near Toronto, advised Wedding about killing a federal witness and introduced him to drug traffickers facilitating product movement across North America.
He’s also said to have directed efforts at gathering intelligence after law enforcement seized drugs belonging to their organization.
Paradkar released on bail December last year
Just before Christmas last year, Bawden decided to grant Paradkar bail with conditions such as house arrest, GPS monitoring and restrictions against using electronic devices unless monitored by one of his sureties. The primary surety for Paradkar is his wife; together they pledged $5 million for his release. The prosecutors contended that Bawden did not adequately evaluate Paradkar’s wife when considering her as a surety nor did he take into account their testimonies regarding assets not mentioned in affidavits. The Crown further argued that Bawden didn’t deal with discrepancies between their income levels and extravagant lifestyle which included costly family trips and leasing multiple luxury cars along with filing claims for valuable designer clothing collections and accessories.WATCH | Paradkar was one of several Canadians arrested last November:What we know about the Brampton lawyer arrested in the case of Ryan WeddingBrampton lawyer Deepak Paradkar was among those arrested in connection with ongoing investigations into Ryan Wedding, an alleged Canadian drug lord. CBC’s Greg Ross breaks down what we know so far.
The Appeal Court noted that both Paradkar and his wife were questioned about their income sources and assets while providing explanations regarding how they acquired them over time.
“While it was suggested that their admitted sources of income and their lifestyle and assets did not ‘add up,’ this was far from an inevitable conclusion on the record,” stated the court.
The main question wasn’t whether Paradkar had enough money for escape but rather “whether he had any reason to do so,” according to what they wrote.
“Mr. Paradkar’s incentive to stay in Canada and follow his bail terms while attending court was deemed by the application judge as a ‘compelling reason’ proving Mr. Paradkar met his burden concerning flight risk,” it added.
Bawden also evaluated whether Paradkar’s wife could serve as an appropriate surety; findings made were supported by available evidence.
The Crown claimed Bawden relied too much on speculation when assessing whether there was any flight risk posed by Paradkar. For instance they mentioned how he concluded that if he went into hiding Paradkar would struggle accessing medical care for diabetes and heart issues.
The Appeal Court sided with Paradkar’s legal team arguing that if Bawden speculated at all it was only based on hypothetical scenarios: suggesting Mr. Paradkar might seek refuge within some foreign drug cartel or use undisclosed resources enabling him escape Canada or even go underground here.”
Pardakar continues asserting he’s innocent and “will mount a vigorous defence” against charges raised both in Canada and U. S., according to statements made by his lawyer Ravin Pillay told CBC back in December.
Pillay pointed out that much of what’s being presented against Paradkar relies “almost entirely” on information from someone cooperating who may have been involved criminally themselves.
Pillay noted there are no wiretaps or shared communications found within disclosed material tying Paradkar directly into these charges.Source link
