Andrew Duffy

Booze kept in police car, probe told

Junger's girlfriend, Roma Langford, made the accusations in a 2 1/2-hour taped interview with Metro 's internal affairs officers on Dec. 4, 1989.

Excerpts from the conversation were played and read into the record yesterday at the inquiry by the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services into the Junger affair and the conduct of Metro's internal affairs unit.

"He (Junger) said his job was not a stressful one and he could come and go as he pleased," Langford is heard saying on the tape. "That police badge gets him almost any place." Junger once used his badge to get free admission for them to a boat show, Langford told two internal affairs investigators, Detective Sergeants James Shannon and Roy Pilkington.

Much of yesterday's hearing was consumed by legal arguments as lawyers clashed over the admissibility of audio tapes and other evidence.

At one point, commission counsel Graydon Sheppard accused internal affairs lawyer Eddie Greenspan of launching a public relations campaign on behalf of the force. "It must be obvious by now that some of the parties are interested in pitching knifes at each other," Sheppard said. "It's a public relations battle here."

Greenspan, after a recess, responded angrily to Sheppard's accusation, saying the police need all available evidence on the record to show they acted "properly, appropriately and that the system does work." "We didn't start the war, they did," he said, gesturing in the direction of counsel for Junger and Langford.

Junger's lawyer, Peter Rosenthal, said his client's right to privacy has been breached by the inquiry.

The internal affairs probe of Junger had begun in August, 1989, but was at a standstill until his girlfriend unexpectedly called investigators, Shannon testified yesterday.

Langford's appearance was such a break that "I thought I should go and buy a Lotto 6/49 ticket," Shannon said.

She detailed Junger's involvement in a fledgling escort service business that advertised "executive-style males and females." Each client paid $250 for sexual services, Langford said. The escort service, operated by Langford and Junger, received $60 out of each $250 fee.

Langford told Shannon she went to police because "I think he (Junger) is really pushing it (the escort business); greed is setting in and it's a very sad thing." Junger, she said, wanted to expand the business by advertising it in the Yellow Pages.

Shannon testified that he "was taken aback and surprised" by Langford's story. "I really didn't believe what I was hearing," he said.

With a view toward securing enough evidence for a Police Act charge, internal affairs investigators arranged a sting operation for the day after their interview with Langford.

On Dec. 5, 1989, a policewoman posing as an escort service client, lured Junger into a hotel room where police had set up surveillance equipment. Greenspan has proposed that the videotape of the sting operation be entered into evidence today.

Junger resigned on March 1, 1990, in accordance with a written resignation agreement. In the two-page document, police withdraw a drug possession charge and agree to destroy evidence relating to Junger's dealings with Langford.

Shannon testified yesterday that he "has never even thought about" destroying evidence in the Junger case.

Meanwhile, a detailed report on the internal affairs unit of the Metro police department will be kept secret.

Frank D'Andrea, chairperson of the three-member inquiry panel, ruled that releasing part of the report would "adversely" affect ongoing internal affairs investigations and the willingness of future informants to come forward."

He ordered Appendix D of the report by retired Ontario Supreme Court Justice Richard Holland be sealed to the public and all inquiry lawyers. The rest of the report has been released. Holland's report examined files of the internal affairs unit dating back to 1985. Appendix D gives a detailed look at 138 files that should have been sent to the public complaints commission but instead were handled by the internal affairs unit.