You are NOT going to believe who is heading up the Project South police corruption investigation. Namely, a corrupt cop!
By way of background, Project South was jointly announced in February by the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police.
The word “shocking” doesn’t even begin to convey the significance of the scandal.
As we reported back in the wintertime, several police officers and civilian staffers, mostly employed by the Toronto Police Service but also with Peel Regional Police, were put under investigation for guns and drug trafficking, bribery, breach of trust, and even conspiracy to commit murder!
Let us reiterate: these are police officers and civilian staffers of police forces facing numerous criminal charges. In other words, the “good guys”. Allegedly.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at the time that corruption has no place in policing and that the force is committed to leaving no stone unturned and assorted other pronouncements of Grade-A bull-shite.
But in the aftermath of all the hot air, how exactly is this initiative playing out? Especially given that Chief Demkiw promised the public a two-year anti-corruption initiative. Project South would get to the bottom of this scandal. It would re-establish trust in policing. Moving forward, the Toronto Police Service would be all about restoring accountability and transparency.
And if you believe those whoppers, we have some oceanfront property for sale in Saskatoon…
That’s because our ex-cop friend Jay Bannister, who now runs the superb MadLab Press website, found out who Chief Demkiw has appointed to run this anti-corruption unit. Namely, Superintendent Riyaz Hussein.
Who’s that, you ask?
Well for starters, Hussein is a police officer who is no stranger himself when it comes to being arrested and convicted of a crime!
Here’s the skinny: Hussein used to serve as a quasi-judge at the Toronto Police Tribunal where he was in charge of judging bad cops and even handing down sentences to those cops found guilty. All of which is quite rich because Hussein is far from squeaky clean himself.
Back in 2022, according to Oshawa court staff, Hussein pleaded guilty to driving with a blood alcohol level over .80 in connection with a crash that occurred in Pickering, Ont. Hussein, who was apparently as drunk as a skunk at the time of the accident, slammed his unmarked police cruiser into the back of a delivery truck on Highway 401. There was even an open bottle of liquor in his car – Appleton’s Rum to be precise.
When Hussein was arrested by police at the scene of the accident, one officer noted that this reprobate was so inebriated that he could barely stand up.
Hussien was later suspended with pay and, if you can believe it, was back on the job just a month later!
He was also found guilty and sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and fined $1,560.
He was also demoted to inspector for a year. But get this: he would later be cranked up to superintendent again. Why? Nobody knows.
And the irony could not be more perverse nor profound: the police officer in charge of Project South – the investigation into police corruption – is corrupt himself!
The question arises: what the hell is Chief Demkiw thinking? Why is a convicted drunk driver investigating corrupt cops? Hussein shouldn’t even be employed as a meter maid.
And so much for accountability and disclosure! It’s a joke, albeit one without a punchline.
And this latest sordid chapter in Toronto Police history reminds us of one of our favourite Latin quotes: “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.” Translation: “Who guards the guardians?”
Hellbound and Down 