extra litec Murder suspects face U.S. trial ‘mother was stony-eyed and ‘silent as she left the court- room after hearing a judge order the extradition of her son and his secondary school pal Atif Rafay to the United States. A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ‘The two school friends will approved the extradition of Atif face trial in connection with Ratay (left) and Sebastian Burns. the triple murder of Rafay’s family in Bellevue, Washington. Her son Sebastian momentarily showed a smirk as he and Rafay were escorted out by court sheriffs. Burns’ mother was among the last.to Jeave the B.C. Supreme ‘ourt room. on Friday. Without provocation, a supporter of Burns firmly’ pushed away a News reporter. who approached the used murderer’s mother. | : The angry youth. refused to ntify himself... “It ‘is none of business... I don’t think she ts to talk.to you right now,” he' id before fleecing down the stairs. iid defence lawyer Patrick ,on the .stéps .of the - i . fessions to undercover RCMP offi- -. Gers. - “Justice” "Howard penalty in another country.” will ‘likely. be several’ years Rafay and Burns leave the Pre-Trial. Detention. the death se nenatty not apply. ums, 20, and Rafay, 19, face three charges of aggravated first- degree murder... Rafay’s | parents, Tariq and Short list | Sultana, both 56, were bludgeoned ‘to death in Bellevue on July 12, 1994,.Basma Rafay, 20, died in hospital from similar injuries a .. Short time later. The judge ruled the evidence presented during the two-week hearing was sufficient to warrant extradition to the U.S. “I am satisfied that there is suf- ficient evidence that a reasonable jury, properly instructed, could return a verdict. of guilty,” Justice - Callaghan stated. The judge noted that DNA evi- ‘dence linked Burns to the crime scene, and Burns. and Rafay described the gory murder in con- Earlier this. week, the judge ruled..that confessions made by Rafay.and Burns to undercover RCMP officers were admissible evidence. Burns confesséd to beating : Rafay’s parents and autistic sister _ with a baseball bat - while Rafay watched. Undercover police claim Burns described how he wore only under- wear during the killings, to keep his clothes clean. Police contend the pair ‘planned to split $350,000 in money from insurance and the sale of the Rafay - home in Bellevue. Bellevue police are reluctant to comment on the extradition case. “If and when we get the two men down here, then we may be ina position to comment,” media liai- son Lieut. William Ferguson said. » NEWS photo Brad LedwAdge WEST VANCOUVER Police Const. Duncan Scurrah dispiays some of the 6 kg (13.5 Ibs. ) of mar- ijuana that ly net weal tice say was seized on Wednesday after a motorist was pulled over for apparent- ing a seatbelt on the Trans-Canada Highway. According to a Weat Vancouver Police spokesman, the police constable Invoived sald he smelled a “very strong odor of marijuana” coming from the vehicle as he spoke to the driver. Police say the marijuana, valued at $25, oe was found In the car's trunk. Robbie Ralph Hall, 43, of Nanoose Bay, has been charged with possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking in connection with the incident. . Resolution anticipated for. college construction fight A LAWYER for Granwest Constructors hopes carpenters will resume construction on the $19.5-million student ser- vices and theatre building at Capilano College this week. By Ian Noble News Reporter A dispute pitting forming con- tractor Trident Construction against general contractors. Granwest Constructors shut down work at the site Monday. Trident says it has not been paid by Granwest, while Granwest maintains ’ Trident has. ° As a result of the dispute, 42 members of the car- - Gerry Vanginkel, penters’. union who previously worked on the site say they are owed three weeks of wages and two months of benefits. However, Carpenters’ Union Local 1995 business’ agent Dave Hass said his workers would be happy to return to work if wages owed — about $130,000 — are paid. On Friday, Granwest lawyer ‘Charles Caza said 4& Granwest is on its fifth superintendent and third project — manager and lost a coordinator. 99 | Granwest has been trying to get quotes to see who can finish the project. He added his ‘firm is considering, iong time comin A:PROVINCIAL government short list of ‘First Narrows crossing options has been promised repeatedly, but remains elusive. North ' Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA David Schreck is critical of his govemment’s delay in ~ producing a short list. “I have made it clear to my colleagues 1 want to see that short list immediate- ly, if not sooner,” he said. “On July 23, 1993, Transportation and ‘Highways Minister Art Charbonneau optimistical- ly anticipated a decision on the crossing in early ‘1994 “to meet a five-year target for planning, design and construction.” At the time, Charbonneau’s press release noted the three-lane Lions Gate Bridge, built in 1938, was one of the busiest in the world. ‘ "Bach year, the bridge records 25 million vehi- cle trips. : Charbonneau has since travelled on to the edu- - cation ministry.’ - Qn Jan. 12; 1994, new but equally optimistic Transportation Minister Jackie Pement noted: The earliest opportunity for a a final decision pre- Lions Gate Crossing studies, public input blamed for delay sented by this process would be in about a year.” In July 1994, she anticipated a short list of options for the fall, On June 5, 1995, Pement anticipated a short list for late fall. Then, in November, at North Vancouver District Hall, Ferguson said the short list would be available in January 1996. On Thursday, Ferguson said that since then, the minister has clearly stated the short list would be available in early 1996, To explain the delay, he said many community groups have asked for extra studies to be done. For instance, a West End group asked for a traffic study, Ferguson said. “In order to get that information and put it into the equation, it took us additional time which ini- tially we hadn’t really anticipated doing,” said Ferguson. : So far, the Lions Gate Crossing Project has included eight studies on Stanley Park, examining noise impact, archeo!ogical and heritage concerns, fisheries and wildlife, soil, air and water quality. -$135 million to $420 million and tunnels. from — | | feature Other studies involved a South Shore traffic impact study, ventilation requirements and “con- ° structibility and costing” studies for tunnel options, and a Lions Gate Bridge condition survey. On the geotechnical side, studies included one of the Stanley Park Causeway and another on North Shore approaches. While he awaits the results of geotechnical and environmental studies, Schreck said his preference is a new four-lane bridge and a tunnel through Stanley Park . “That's the way it louks to me at this stage and 1 think that what they produce when they produce the short list will give us enough information to see whether a seat-of-the-pants preference like that stands up,” he said. In November, the ministry released a list of cight options ranging from doing nothing to build- ing a Brockton crossing to the Upper Levels Highway at a cost of $700 million to $800 million. A new four-lane bridge rings in. at between $350 million to $410 million. Between 1975 and 1995, more than $14.5 mil- lion was spent on Lions Gate Bridge maintenance * and rehabilitation, said ministry communications manager Betty Nicholson. Pement was unavailable for comment. using the union: members: and -is hopeful workers will be cii'the site sometime. this’ week, but ‘couldn't say on which day work will begin. Caza said Trident has been paid» every two weeks and ‘for all of its’. : work completed. at ‘the project. . Trident told Granwest:on"Jan. 24° that it could NOL meet its payroll : obligations, said Caza: According to: Caza, Trident asked Granwest: for.’ , $200,000 before Jan. 26 so -‘Trident’. could pay employees and suppliers. Nothing was owed.to Trident: at the © time, said Caza He sddéd Trident.’ stated it w require: payments | between $600,000 and: $1: million: over and above the amount of its contract ‘with Granwest . to complete work on the project.::. : the” ident. of Calgary-basod presi Trident, agrees that his firm did ‘ask for $200,000, but - added on Jan. 12 he had only boen paid $27,000 of a. $125,000 progress claim rubmitted,| Vanginkel acknowledged his firm needs more money to finish the job. He said Granwest js on its fifth super: . intendent:and third project coordinator. That, he said, has had a drastic impac the schedule of the job. 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