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Accused man

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Morsury testifies in trial

Anna Mari D'Angelo
News Reporter
adangelo@isnews.com
ACCUSED first-degree
murderer Jon Moroury
revealed the names of
four others he
“assumed” knew about
the murder of Mo
Mithadi.

__ Mirhadi, 21, was shot three
umes while watching a gang-
ster movie in 2a Lower

- Lonsdale movie theatre on
Feb. 28, 1997.

_Moroury’s close . friend,
Michael Caster, 21, was con-

: victed of being the shooter in
. the planned murder...

on trial

for. first ares murder

“In NV shocting. a)

On the night of the shaot-
g, Caster used a stolen cred-

: District gets failing grade

Crown lav
. When

or; $42

stated, “It could be (for) per-
ishables sold at the theatre.” -
“Caster. and. Moroury were.
the only two charged with the’
planned murder,
» Mojtahedpour was charge

with obstructing justice.

In a recorded conversation’
with: an-undercover  Mountic

_the:(summer * of 1997,

Moroury zevealed Caster as a
shooter.’ 0°

... Moroury was recorded as
saying, “I never ‘actually told.
anyone. My four. bros know,

“but I actually never told.”

~ Moroury testified that he

‘said he was part of the Mirhadi

murder to impress the under-
cover’ officer. and perhaps get
more responsibility arid moncy

working in the criminal orga-

nization.

_. » Moroury first said he was
- the, shooter, but then_apolo-
. gized and said he had lied and
“Bad only taken-a part in the ty tax

NN Moroitry stated he held the”
~ exit’ dedr ‘open for. Caster’s

according to ‘his state- °
ing the undercover

Moroury said he knew about
the murder because Caster
had confessed to him a couple
of days after Mirhadi was
killed.

Moroury testificd he also
got murder details from the
newspaper.

About his knowledge of
the second person involved in
the planned murder, Morcury
stated he “made up” what
happened.

The prosecuting lawyer
pointed out that Moroury had
made a spiral motion with his
hand when he told the under-
cover officer about escaping
with Caster down stairs
behind the movie theatre.

Said Brown, “Is it just a

_.. coincidence tire stairwell in the

- back of the theatre is shaped’ |

like this?” - .

Moroury answered, “I was-
n’t referring to zhe stairwell. I
was referring to going out and
coming back in (through the
exiz doorway before the
shooting.)”

_ Moroury testified he was
“partially” involved in Caster’s
credit card fraud dealings and
had heard “rumours” he was
involved in Mirhadi’s murder.

.. Moroury told the under-
cover police he Hed about
being the shooter because he.
wasn’t a “rat” and was “cover-
ing” for a friend.

Moroury told the under-
cover police officer, “You've
got to be real .f***ing carefid

’ (about getting linked to
’ Mirhadi’s murder)... F***ing,

: if T get linked to that sh**,

: that’s why I don’t want to tell
, you because it’s f**ing life
right there.” ss

Moroury told undercover
‘police that he had “whacked”
person. S
|. Moroury carried a gun

_when dealing in some of the

criminal enterprises with the
undercover cops.

Moroury referred to Caster
and himself as “brains” and
“brawn.” .

A. phone conversation
between Moroury and Caster
was played in court in which
Moroury secks Caster’s advice
and discusses purchasing guns.
Moroury brings up his suspi-
cion that the criminals he is
dealing with are cops: ;

Said Caster “during ‘the
recorded phone conversation,
“These guys, I’m preity sure

they are not like Mani (Rezaci) |

siness issues report card

: _'* Katharine Hamer ‘
rown questioned |. Sp
‘Moroury about the five tickets;
$42.50. spent. by “Caster *
before . the’ movie, Morour

- .(CFIB) puts North

’_ Vancouver District at
the bottom of the heap
in terms of perfor-

- mance. ‘

A national study! undertak-
en between July 1998 and
October 1999 by tic CFIB
suggests that a majority of
small business owners are dis-

. Satisfied with thcir local gov-
ernment.

“We're the largest smal?
business organization in the
country,” said CFIB B.C. vice-
president Suromitra Sanatani
— who describes the 28-year-
old CFIB as a “non-profit,
non-partisan” advocacy group.

le speak out on issucs
that are often controversial, like
taxation, red tape, and proper-

Sanatani believes the results
of the survey are “sobering and
of great concern. Thev are

almost identical to the: views
collected two years befc:/e.”_

1n.1997, 0% of CFIB mem-
bers in’ North Vancouver

District rated their municipality
as having.» good performance,
while 31% vicwed their local
government standards as poor.

‘This year’s results — despite
the fact that the district’s per-
formance doses not match up to
other B.C. municipalities like
Richmond or Langicy — show
some improvement in opinion.

Six percent of CFIB mem-
bers: in the district said the
municipality’s performance on
small business issues vias good
and 69% said it was poor.

“They don’t feel the district
has made any significant
improvement,” Sanatani said.
“They have to realize they can-
not keep people waiting forev-
er for permits and licences.
Small businesses don’t have
truckloads of moncy to keep up
with bureaucracy.”

District Mayor: Don Bell
said he was “disappointed” that
the municipality still feil short
of business expectations, “but
we're working to improve that.
We want to have a friendly cli-
mate for smail business,”

Bell said the issue of taxa-
tion had also been brought up
by the recently-formed North
Shore Industriat Waterfront
Association — and that the dis-
trict has established a task force
to address taxation ratios.

’ “(The. survey) is all based

tre

Holiday hugs and kisses
DELANY'S in Dundarave joined with Amber Books to host a french toast breakfast Saturday. The event fea-

tured storytelling and other activities for children. At the Dundarave coffeehouse, Elly the Elf (Gina Marie
Fraser) cozied up for a cuddle from Jackeon Coyes. Santu was also on hand for the family event.

NV. Olympian

turned out te be because I’m
pretty sure that once you actu-
ally buy something from them
then they are {***ed.”

Caster was referring to the

sale of illegal guns which’

would mean the officers com-
mitted a crime. Police officers
in undercover investigations
cannot commit crimes, mak-
ing it almost impossible in
Canada for undercover opera-
tions to infiltrate the upper
reaches of organized crime
that include outlaw biker and
ethnic groups. Caster,is serv-
ing 2 fife sentence. Moroury’s
jury ial contaues.

on perception,” said Bell. “Our
taxation levels are not so difter-
ent from other municipalities, I
know that we were a leader in
no smoking in. public places,
and with signage —- we set yy
rules anci regulations on sand-
wich boards — maybe those
are factors in perception.”

Said Sanatani, “It’s not our
intention to -bash municipali-
tics. Our members exjoy living
there. But' let’s have some
improvement.” . ;

CFIB suggests municipali- .

ties “consider the local business
community as citizens’ rather
than just a source of tax rev-
enue.”

North Vancouver City. was
also surveyed, Ten percent of
members there gave their local
leaders. the thumbs up, 39%
rated the city’s performance as
poor, arid 51% called it “fair.”

CFIB has about 500 mem-
bers in North Vancouver.

West Vancouver was not
surveyed.. Sanatani said the
municipality docs: not ‘have
enough CFIB members to war-
rant a survey being conducted
there. .
Sanatani said that although
the survey was conducted by
CFIB sales people, rather than
by. an outside group. of poll-
sters, the . results are “not

cooked up. We’re not like adis- . ’

gruntied. group of business

people. We don’t have some -

sort of agenda.”

* meeting
. Switzerland

/ movement. *

Bob Mackin
News Reporter

THE Inteznational
Olympic Commitiee
(IOC) says it has been
purged of criminais.

But it now includes one
Crooks, ‘

North’ | . Vancouver's
Charmaine Crooks, that is.
’ The. five-time - Canadia

Olympian was one of 10 ath--
“Jetes clected by acclamation. .

ta the IOC: ata. two-day
: in
don -: Sunday,
Another five athletes will be
elected at a later date.

The move was one of 50-

sweeping : reform: proposals
accepted :
10C. The organization - has
been rocked by bribery: scan-
dals for more than a year.

Crooks, who wor’a silver

~ medal in the women’s.4x400
metre relay in the 1984.

Olympics, was elected to the

10C’s athletes’ advisory com-
1996 ©
Atlanta Olympics. Now she is...

mission after the
a full member of the IOC.
“It’s great to know as an
athlete! if you work hard you
can effect change and go with
what you believe in, whether

it’s fighting for your rights in:

your ‘local. sports club —
that’s where | started -— to
now,” Crooks said Tuesday.
“It’s
we're shaping the world of

sport that we don’t forget —
whar’s happening in our own:
backyard. We certainly have a >
lot of issues to face in Canada.

and it’s importazit to recog-

nize those and try to con- . rs
the most powerful: Canadian :: * :.

tribute as much at home as
with the athletes . of’ the
world.” :

Lausanne,”

yy the 105-year-old »

- NORTH Vanco ver's
mm: $008 on

“own
| Charmaine

important ~ while

’ Crooks is encouraged that”
“the reform package -will res-

“cue, the embattled Olympic .—

to 10C

“These . reforms will. lead.
to ‘a more accountable orga- |.
nization. After. all,. the.
Olympics are about, athletes. :
Now we have a framework in

mbar

place that ‘the focus can go
ack to the Games." . a
_ SThis’ isa. great step to ':

restore. credibility and _ make

the organization more.trans-.

parent ‘and really get up’ to
date with» modern bustness "
practices.” i

. An IOC internal investiga:

tion foun’ the organizers of

the. 2002 : Sale: Lake’: City
Winter * Olympics’, bid - spent
“$1 million US.‘to_ buy votes”
‘from ‘corrupt IOC members

in cash and gifts. Several IOC™ *
members were expelled.
Crooks wiil continue her.
career’as a‘ freelance. broad-.: |
caster : and’. motivational -

speaker. Her position on the: “..-
IOC is voluntary. °° 3h!

She - won't, however,

on the IOC: Montreal lawyer