Andrew Duffy

Officer in sex-for-pay scandal should be rehired, board told

"He (Junger) was coerced into resigning by the threat of criminal charges and other charges," Peter Rosenthal told the Ontario Police Commission inquiry into Metro's internal affairs unit yesterday.

"Those charges have no substance to them; it was an illegal agreement used unfairly to force his resignation."

Junger, a nine-year veteran, resigned in March 1990, after internal affairs found he was operating an escort service with Roma Langford.

In return for Junger's resignation the police agreed to withdraw hashish-possession charges and ge rid of "all physical evidence" in his case, according to a two-page resignation agreement files as an exhibit yesterday.

Metro police also agreed to provide Junger with a form letter, stating that he had served on the force.

Three other secret resignation agreements have been reached with police officers over the past five years, commission counsel Blenus Wright said yesterday.

Not all the agreements "are like this one (Junger's)," he said.

Retired Ontario Supreme Court justice Richard Holland is now reviewing the agreements and other internal affairs documents dating back to 1984, Wright said.

Holland is to prepare a report for the commission on his findings.

Secret agreements are "a very bad habit to get into" for a police force, said lawyer Marlys Edwardh, counsel for Langford, in an interview.

"The real question is what is the effect on the public -- what do we lose by having these kind of secret agreements reached?" said Edwardh.

The agreement made with Junger, signed by internal affairs Detective N. Shannon "as per the chief of police," notes there is on ongoing investigation into the officer's dealings with Langford.

Rosenthal said Junger made errors in judgment by operating an escort service but "didn't do anything to warrant dismissal from the force."

"It's clear to us the only thing the police department cared about was trying to protect its image — and we think this really tarnishes their image," he said.

Junger would have been aquitted had the drug possession charge gone to court, Rosenthal said.

"Mr Junger wants to be re-instated on the force, and failing that, to be compensated for unfair dismissal," Rosenthal said outside the hearing room.

Police Chief William McCormack, who is scheduled to take the witness stand tomorrow, has said internal affairs officers did everything in their power to secure a conviction against Junger.

He has maintained there was no police wrongdoing in the Junger affair.

Rosenthal yesterday asked a supervisor at the Ontario Police College, Cal Bond, whether he considers the Junger resignation agreement ethical.

"Recruits are taught that any evidence is to be preserved until it is dealt with according to law," Bond said. "Any destroying of evidence is totally unethical and unlawful."