Canadian Authorities Drop Charges in Large Cartel Connected Trafficking Network

 
Ricco King the alleged leader of the organization, who has ties to both Calgary and Halifax, was one of the five people who walked away from their charges. This is the second time in five years he’s escaped international drug importation charges.

Last week, federal Crown prosecutors stayed all charges faced by King, Jarett Mackenzie, 34, Elias Ade, 40, Abdul Akbar, 39, and Kari-Lynn Grant, 53; the alleged leaders and those facing the most serious offences.

The move came one day before lawyers for the accused were to make a Jordan application, where they were set to argue the charges should be dropped because of unreasonable delay in getting the case to trial.

At the same time, defense lawyers were fighting in federal court for the disclosure of information the attorney general didn’t want handed over due to national security concerns. The disclosure involved investigative techniques used by the RCMP.

Federal court filings show that the day after the stays were issued, the attorney general filed a notice of discontinuance on all matters, meaning prosecutors won’t have to hand over any of the information the government was fighting to keep secret.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada refused to explain the decision to issue the stays but sent CBC News a statement saying the Crown fulfilled its duty to “continually assess whether there remains a reasonable prospect of conviction based on the admissible evidence.”

“The prosecution has assessed that no longer remains the case,” wrote the PPSC.

Mackenzie’s lawyer, Gavin Wolch, praised the Crown for “keeping an objective eye on the merits of the prosecution.”

“Like any machine with a lot of moving parts, a prosecution like this is a massive undertaking where if one part fails, the machine can collapse,” said Wolch.

Akbar’s lawyer, Faizan Butt, referenced an accused person’s right to full disclosure and the right to a timely prosecution as “basic fundamental principles of justice.”

“The remedies for a violation of these principles, which are enshrined in the Charter, can often lead to harsh results,” said Butt. “But they are necessary in a democratic society … and serve as procedural guardians for our justice system.”

An investment company, Fouani Equity Funds Ltd. was also charged with participation in a criminal organization.

Nakita Baron, 31, died of her injuries. Fouani survived.

In 2020, Fouani testified against his former friend and business associate Cem (Jim) Can at an Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) hearing. Can was arrested along with two Hells Angels associates, accused of extortion and kidnapping related to a stock deal gone bad. The charges were later dropped because of concerns about the credibility of the alleged victim.