One of the officers at the heart of a sweeping anti-corruption probe in the Greater Toronto Area was recorded as he discussed feeding information from police databases to criminals while in his cruiser, according to newly unsealed documents related to the Project South investigation. The allegation is contained in an “Information to Obtain” document filed by police as part of the process to get search warrants in the case. The allegations have not been tested in court. CTV News is among several media outlets that have been contesting a publication ban on the documents and extensive redactions. Ontario Superior Court Justice Laura Bird allowed the publication of more of the documents’ contents in a decision released Wednesday, noting that the “importance of public scrutiny in this case cannot be overstated.” The documents contain a series of explosive allegations. They state that Const. Timothy Barnhardt allegedly leaked information from police databases to an individual named Brian Da Costa that eventually enabled an attempted hit on a manager of Toronto South Detention Centre – one that was thwarted by police. Da Costa is also facing charges in the Project South case and police have previously described him as a “key figure” in the investigation with alleged links to drug trafficking. The attempted hit was originally called for by a man who is facing charges in connection with the alleged drug trafficking ring helmed by former Canadian Olympian Ryan Wedding, the documents state. The documents go on to state that the personal vehicles of Barnhardt, Const. Saurabjit Bedi, and others were used to “repeatedly commit” drug trafficking offenses, including dealing cocaine to each other. The documents cite “intercepted communications” between Bedi and Barnhardt that “demonstrated repeated and ongoing discussions regarding the acquisition, pricing, weighing, quality and redistribution of cocaine,” “These communications are corroborated by surveillance observations of Bedi and Barnhardt meeting in person at commercial plazas and other locations, where Bedi was observed purchasing, possessing and consuming cocaine, as well as reselling previously acquired cocaine back to Barnhardt,” the authors of the application to get a search warrant write. The documents also contain an allegation that “Bedi stored controlled substances within his vehicle and arranged meetings to provide narcotics to others.” The group then “conspired” to head off bylaw inspectors and law enforcement scrutiny as they started a ring of marijuana dispensaries and massage parlours, the documents allege. Barnhardt is one of eight active and retired officers who were among the 27 suspects charged earlier this year in Project South, a massive investigation by York Region police that uncovered allegations of bribery, conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking, among other offences. Police have previously described Barnhardt as “the genesis” of the investigation. The documents filed by police in order to get warrants in the investigation allege Barnhardt was tasked with finding suitable locations for black market dispensaries and erotic massage parlours, as well as making arrangements to protect them from enforcement. The officer allegedly agreed to give advance notice of inspections and co-ordinate the payment of cash bribes to police and bylaw officers, as well as facilitate the use of police databases to protect the illegal sites against enforcement. Barnhardt’s lawyer declined to comment on the allegations this morning when reached by The Canadian Press, while Da Costa’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In her decision to release more of the documents on Wednesday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Laura Bird said that the allegations of “widespread police corruption” in the case are concerning, “What is, perhaps, most concerning about the allegations of widespread police corruption in this case is the fact that the York Regional Police only stumbled upon it in the course of their investigation into the conspiracy to murder the correctional officer,” she said. Investigators looked up who had searched the victim’s address in their database and discovered it allegedly was Barnhardt, she said. She pointed out that there is no evidence anyone was suspicious of the constable or his alleged accomplices before then. “That is something that should be of tremendous concern to the public because it demonstrates that a trusted public official can engage in widespread illegal conduct and go undetected,” she said. “The public has a right to know what police services across this province are doing to respond to this disturbing scenario. The public can only hold their community police services accountable if they are aware of the full extent of the allegations against the Project South defendants.”” A previous batch of the documents was released in July, shedding light on an alleged link between the Project South investigation and the case of former Canadian Olympian Ryan Wedding, who is accused of running an international drug trafficking ring. Gurpreet Singh was accused by U.S. authorities of helping co-ordinate cocaine shipments for Wedding. He is currently fighting extradition to the United States and has not been charged in connection with Project South.
