I see by motions filed in court in Toronto that whistleblower Norman Bourdeau wants to file criminal charges against L.H. Gray and Son Ltd.
It’s another chapter in the long-standing legal battles in
Ontario’s egg industry.
The next step will be a closed-door hearing before a judge
to determine whether there is sufficient basis to pursue Bourdeau’s request.
A judge could issue an arrest warrant against owner Bill
Gray and/or senior company officials.
The judge might also order the defendants to appear in court
to answer to the charges.
Or the judge could stay the charges, in effect putting them
on hold to give Bourdeau more time to research and prepare his allegations and
Gray’s lawyers more time to prepare responses.
Gray’s lawyers have been on the attack against Bourdeau,
basically to muzzle his allegations by filing contempt of court motions. So far
all but one of those motions has been dropped or dismissed and Bourdeau has
asked the Supreme Court of Canada to take on the one case that resulted in a
conviction.
Bourdeau filed another motion in the spring that included all of
the allegations against Gray and Burnbrae Farms Ltd. that are part of an
ongoing $33-million lawsuit filed against them by Sweda Farms Ltd. and Best
Choice Eggs.
Bourdeau added a few more allegations to that list. None of
the allegations have yet been tested in court, nor have the defence claims that
they have done nothing wrong.
Bourdeau’s motion for criminal charges include:
- - An allegation that L.H. Gray and Son Ltd. and
senior company officials have destroyed evidence and that is in breach of the
court order by Justice Peter Lauwers issued March 10, 2010.
- - An allegation that the “contempt” motions filed
by Gray’s lawyers are “an abuse of process with the intent of preventing me
from further cooperating with law enforcement and regulatory agencies.”
- - An allegation that Gray broke the law that
protects whistleblowers from threats against an employee for contacting or
being prevented from contacting federal or provincial agencies that enforce the
law.
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