An Ontario judge viewed the video in which Rob Ford is purportedly seen smoking crack cocaine, and said he will decide 鈥渟oon鈥� whether lawyers defending a man in a drugs and weapons case with links to the Toronto mayor can see the recording.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer viewed the 90-second video behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon. Nordheimer had told the Crown to bring the video to court, so he can decide whether the defence team can view it.
Lawyers for Mohammad Khattak, who is facing charges stemming from the drug and weapons investigation known as Project Traveller, say their client鈥檚 reputation is being harmed by his association with the video.
Khattak鈥檚 lawyers argue they should be allowed to view the video to determine whether its contents are relevant to their defence. The Crown has said Khattak is not seen or mentioned in the video.
CP24 reporter Sue Sgambati tweeted from the courthouse Tuesday afternoon the defence team鈥檚 argument for being allowed to see the video.
鈥淒efence lawyers now arguing that Khattak needs to see video in order to identify for his civil lawyer 鈥榣eads鈥� as to who made video,鈥� Sgambati tweeted. The Crown asked Nordheimer to dismiss the defence application.
When court adjourned Tuesday afternoon, Nordheimer said he will issue a decision 鈥渁s soon鈥� as he can, Sgambati reported, adding that a decision is not likely today.
Khattak can be seen in a widely circulated photograph of the mayor outside an address a confidential informant has called a 鈥渃rack house鈥� in Etobicoke. In the photo, Khattak and Ford are seen with Anthony Smith and another man. Smith was shot and killed earlier this year.
Criminal lawyer Edward Prutschi said last week that, even if Khattak's lawyer succeeds in being allowed to view the video, that does not mean the public will get to see it, too.
"Most likely, if it is released at all, it's going to be in the context of a disclosure application so the lawyers can get a handle on it and see if it is of any relevance to the defence of their clients," he told 麻豆影视 Channel.
Nordheimer is also expected to rule sometime this week on whether the redacted sections of a document police used to gain a search warrant for Ford鈥檚 friend, Alexander Lisi, can be made public.
Earlier this month, several hundred pages of the document were released, but many other portions were blacked out in order to protect 鈥渋nnocent third parties.鈥� The documents suggested close ties between Ford and Lisi, who is now charged with extortion for allegedly trying to obtain the so-called crack video.
Police believe Lisi threatened two men, Mohamed Siad and Liban Siyad, both alleged gang members, in an effort to obtain the video after the Toronto Star and U.S. website Gawker both reported on its existence.
Siad and Siyad were arrested in the police raids that stemmed from Project Traveller, during which police also seized a hard drive on which they found the video as a deleted file.
Wiretaps from the same investigation could also be made public soon, if efforts by media lawyers to have them released are successful.
Meanwhile, Toronto City Council is set to debate a motion Wednesday put forward by one-time Ford ally Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong that asks council to petition the province to remove the mayor if he does not step down.
Minnan-Wong,who was until recently one of Ford鈥檚 biggest supporters, says the city needs to carry on with its work unencumbered by the ongoing scandal involving the mayor.
The councillor wants Ford to co-operate with Toronto police and apologize for lying about smoking crack cocaine.
鈥淭his is all I think easy stuff,鈥� Minnan-Wong told CP24. 鈥淎nd take a leave of absence.鈥�
But Ford鈥檚 brother Doug Ford accuses the councillor of playing politics in preparation for a political run.
鈥淵ou see folks like Denzil Minnan-Wong, the biggest opportunist down here, why doesn鈥檛 he come out and tell the people the truth?鈥� Doug Ford said. 鈥淲hy doesn鈥檛 he just come out and say, 鈥業鈥檓 running for mayor and this is the reason I鈥檓 doing this,鈥� that鈥檚 what he should do.鈥�
Minnan-Wong hasn鈥檛 announced he鈥檒l be running for mayor, but he didn鈥檛 deny he鈥檚 interested in the job.
On Tuesday, CP24鈥檚 Stephen LeDrew asked Minnan-Wong: 鈥淎re you seriously considering running for mayor?鈥�
鈥淵es,鈥� the councillor replied.
After denying the existence of the crack video, Ford recently admitted that he had smoked crack cocaine, likely in one of his 鈥渄runken stupors.鈥�
Another video has since surfaced showing the mayor using threatening and profane language. Ford said that when it was shot, he was 鈥渆xtremely inebriated.鈥�
The mayor denies being addicted to drugs and has vowed to stay in office until voters can decide his fate in the 2014 municipal election.
On Tuesday, Ford shook hands and posed for pictures with residents who lined up at City Hall to purchase a bobblehead doll of him that was created to raise funds for United Way. He sat at a table and signed bobbleheads as people filed past.
He told reporters that he has begun working out, while his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, said the mayor is 鈥済etting the support he needs.鈥�
The mayor said Wednesday鈥檚 council proceedings will be a 鈥渞umble in the jungle,鈥� referencing the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974. Ford has designated Minnan-Wong鈥檚 motion a 鈥渒ey item,鈥� meaning it will be debated first thing Wednesday morning.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Scott Lightfoot
