Video shows Rob Ford inhaling from glass pipe, new documents reveal
The infamous video shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford appearing to inhale from a glass pipe, according to new police documents released on Wednesday.
“After several seconds, Mayor Ford appears to inhale the vapour which is produced, then exhale vapour,” the document says.
The second video referenced last fall by Police Chief Bill Blair is an apparent authorship video by Mohamed Siad, the man believed to have tried to sell the crack video to the media, recording himself alone in a vehicle describing “what was just captured.”
Earlier on Monday, an Ontario judge ordered the release of additional police documents connected to a months-long investigation involving Mayor Ford.
Media lawyer Peter Jacobsen said the new documents will offer an official police account of the now-infamous video allegedly depicting Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine. In this account, the mayor says the name, "Liban," off camera, Mr. Jacobsen said outside court.
"There's a fair amount of information in here about a description of what is actually on the video," Mr. Jacobsen added. The length of the video is about one minute.
Liban Siyad is accused of being a part of the Dixon City Bloods. Police allege Mr. Siyad was threatened by Mr. Lisi in a bid to retrieve the video.
Lawyers representing several media organizations including The Globe and Mail appeared in Ontario Superior Court Wednesday morning to argue for the disclosure of information used to obtain search warrants in January. Mr. Justice Ian Nordheimer ruled the documents should be unsealed, but some portions will remain under publication ban until further arguments are heard on March 28.
The warrants are part of Project Brazen 2, an investigation that began in May after reports surfaced of a video allegedly depicting Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine. As a result of the probe, the mayor’s friend and former driver, Alessandro Lisi, faces several drug-related charges, including possessing and trafficking marijuana.
Mr. Lisi, 35, is also charged with extortion in connection to the Ford video. Toronto police allege he threatened two gang members in a bid to retrieve the recording.
The alleged video has not been made public, but police say they recovered a copy from a computer hard drive seized during last year’s takedown of an Etobicoke gang known as the Dixon City Bloods. The mayor, who admitted in the fall to smoking crack cocaine and to buying illegal drugs while in public office, has not been charged. Mr. Ford is running for re-election in October.
Media lawyers were successful last year in unsealing a nearly 500-page police document connected to search warrants in Mr. Lisi’s drug case. Allegations in that unusually lengthy document rocked city hall, prompting council to vote to strip Mr. Ford of most of mayoral powers in November.
Among the allegations were suspicions from employees in the mayor’s office that Mr. Ford abused alcohol and drugs, details of dozens of meetings in parks and school parking lots between Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi, and accusations the mayor made lewd comments to two female city hall workers.
None of the allegations against Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi has been tested in court. The police document also detailed summaries of cellphone conversations intercepted during surveillance of the Dixon City Bloods. Police allege gang members talked about selling drugs to the mayor and boasted about possessing numerous incriminating photographs of Mr. Ford.
About 60 people, many of them accused of belonging to the gang, were arrested in a police operation known as Project Traveller. Their cases remain before the courts.
Earlier this month, Toronto police Chief Bill Blair asked the Ontario Provincial Police to assume oversight of Project Brazen 2 after Mr. Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, ramped up criticism of the chief. Veteran Toronto police Detective Sergeant Gary Giroux and his team are still leading the probe, but any decision on whether to lay further charges will be made in consultation with a senior OPP officer.
The Project Brazen 2 investigation has taken police to Apple headquarters in California to retrieve data from Mr. Lisi’s iPhone and from iCloud, Apple’s data storage service. Police sought an “assistance order” from Apple in the fall.
Mr. Lisi is known for making secret video and audio recordings of his interactions with others. His court proceedings resume next month.
Video shows Rob Ford inhaling from glass pipe, new documents reveal - The Globe and Mail
The infamous video shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford appearing to inhale from a glass pipe, according to new police documents released on Wednesday.
“After several seconds, Mayor Ford appears to inhale the vapour which is produced, then exhale vapour,” the document says.
The second video referenced last fall by Police Chief Bill Blair is an apparent authorship video by Mohamed Siad, the man believed to have tried to sell the crack video to the media, recording himself alone in a vehicle describing “what was just captured.”
Earlier on Monday, an Ontario judge ordered the release of additional police documents connected to a months-long investigation involving Mayor Ford.
Media lawyer Peter Jacobsen said the new documents will offer an official police account of the now-infamous video allegedly depicting Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine. In this account, the mayor says the name, "Liban," off camera, Mr. Jacobsen said outside court.
"There's a fair amount of information in here about a description of what is actually on the video," Mr. Jacobsen added. The length of the video is about one minute.
Liban Siyad is accused of being a part of the Dixon City Bloods. Police allege Mr. Siyad was threatened by Mr. Lisi in a bid to retrieve the video.
Lawyers representing several media organizations including The Globe and Mail appeared in Ontario Superior Court Wednesday morning to argue for the disclosure of information used to obtain search warrants in January. Mr. Justice Ian Nordheimer ruled the documents should be unsealed, but some portions will remain under publication ban until further arguments are heard on March 28.
The warrants are part of Project Brazen 2, an investigation that began in May after reports surfaced of a video allegedly depicting Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine. As a result of the probe, the mayor’s friend and former driver, Alessandro Lisi, faces several drug-related charges, including possessing and trafficking marijuana.
Mr. Lisi, 35, is also charged with extortion in connection to the Ford video. Toronto police allege he threatened two gang members in a bid to retrieve the recording.
The alleged video has not been made public, but police say they recovered a copy from a computer hard drive seized during last year’s takedown of an Etobicoke gang known as the Dixon City Bloods. The mayor, who admitted in the fall to smoking crack cocaine and to buying illegal drugs while in public office, has not been charged. Mr. Ford is running for re-election in October.
Media lawyers were successful last year in unsealing a nearly 500-page police document connected to search warrants in Mr. Lisi’s drug case. Allegations in that unusually lengthy document rocked city hall, prompting council to vote to strip Mr. Ford of most of mayoral powers in November.
Among the allegations were suspicions from employees in the mayor’s office that Mr. Ford abused alcohol and drugs, details of dozens of meetings in parks and school parking lots between Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi, and accusations the mayor made lewd comments to two female city hall workers.
None of the allegations against Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi has been tested in court. The police document also detailed summaries of cellphone conversations intercepted during surveillance of the Dixon City Bloods. Police allege gang members talked about selling drugs to the mayor and boasted about possessing numerous incriminating photographs of Mr. Ford.
About 60 people, many of them accused of belonging to the gang, were arrested in a police operation known as Project Traveller. Their cases remain before the courts.
Earlier this month, Toronto police Chief Bill Blair asked the Ontario Provincial Police to assume oversight of Project Brazen 2 after Mr. Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, ramped up criticism of the chief. Veteran Toronto police Detective Sergeant Gary Giroux and his team are still leading the probe, but any decision on whether to lay further charges will be made in consultation with a senior OPP officer.
The Project Brazen 2 investigation has taken police to Apple headquarters in California to retrieve data from Mr. Lisi’s iPhone and from iCloud, Apple’s data storage service. Police sought an “assistance order” from Apple in the fall.
Mr. Lisi is known for making secret video and audio recordings of his interactions with others. His court proceedings resume next month.
Video shows Rob Ford inhaling from glass pipe, new documents reveal - The Globe and Mail
