Prosecutors argued Wednesday that an Ontario judge “speculated and drew inferences” not grounded in evidence when he granted bail to a Toronto-area lawyer accused of advising the murder of a federal witness in an alleged international drug smuggling ring.
Lawyers for the Attorney General of Canada are asking the Court of Appeal for Ontario to order that 62-year-old Deepak Paradkar be detained until his extradition hearing.
In documents filed in February, the Crown says the Appeal Court’s intervention is necessary to “salvage the public’s confidence in the administration of justice, to protect the public, and to ensure that Canada’s ability to comply with treaty obligations in this important case is not frustrated.”
Paradkar, along with several other Canadians, was arrested for extradition to the U.S. last fall as part of an FBI investigation targeting Ryan Wedding, the former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin.
Prosecutors allege the Thornhill, Ont., defence lawyer advised Wedding on the murder of a federal witness, introduced the former athlete to drug traffickers who moved product through North America and directed intelligence gathering after drugs were seized by law enforcement.
In December, Paradkar was released on bail under conditions that include 24/7 house arrest, GPS monitoring and no access to electronic devices unless in the presence of his sureties.
Paradkar and his wife, who is his primary surety, also jointly pledged $5 million in bail.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/deepak-paradkar-ryan-wedding-case-9.7149613
