Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Dec 14/98) - Nine months after Iqaluit saw its biggest drug bust ever, 12 of the 29 people arrested have had their day in court.

According to RCMP Cpl. Glen Siegersma, officer in charge of the caseload, the cases are proceeding better than he could have hoped.

"They're going really fast. Normally, with conspiracy charges with this many people, it would take two and a half years," said Siegersma, who estimated that all of the cases should be processed by the end of 1999.

The drug bust, which occurred at the end of March, came after two years of investigations and thousands of wiretaps and surveillance photos.

A list of the accused and their status in the courts follows:

• Denis Aubut, convicted on two trafficking in cocaine charges and one trafficking in hashish charge, currently serving three years in a southern jail.

• Billie Joe Barnes, conspiracy to traffic in hashish and possession hashish charges withdrawn after her common-law partner Nuyalea Kipanik plea bargained.

• Claude Caza, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish and possession of hashish for the purpose of trafficking along with five arson related charges, scheduled to appear in Iqaluit's territorial court on Jan. 19/99 to confirm trial date of Mar. 8/99.

• Jamie Edwards, convicted of conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, was sentenced to two years in prison and has since been released.

• Francois Goupil, charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in hashish, set to appear in court Mar. 8/99.

• Robert Houston, charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana and trafficking in marijuana, set to appear in court Jan. 14/99.

• Levi Jeffrey, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish, found not guilty on Nov. 20/98.

• Nuyalea Kipanik, pleaded guilty to two charges of trafficking hashish, one charge of directly trafficking hashish and a breach of undertaking, serving more than five years in a southern jail.

• Ben Kovic Jr., charged with conspiracy to traffic hashish, charge withdrawn on Nov.18/98.

• Ricardo Lahens, convicted of conspiring to traffic in marijuana, sentenced to three years because of previous conspiracy convictions.

• Jean Pierre Levesque, convicted on two counts of trafficking in hashish, sentenced to 16 months in custody, but recently released.

• Grant Liddiard, charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, trafficking cocaine and trafficking hashish, set to appear Jan. 25/99.

• Roger Marquis, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish, set to appear Mar.8/99.

• Kakasie Mitsima, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish, charge withdrawn on Nov.18/99.

• Bera Naulaq, charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, set to appear Mar. 15/99.

• Michael Noah, convicted of possession of hashish and possession of hashish for the purpose of trafficking, sentenced to 12 months, but released for time served in remand.

• Joelie Okalik, charged with trafficking in cocaine, set to appear Apr. 12/99.

• Adam Pitts, convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, conspiracy to traffic in hashish, sentenced on Jun. 16/98 to five and a half years in the south.

• Mark Pitts, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish, counselling for the offence of fraud, counselling for the offence of laundering the proceeds of crime, set to appear Mar. 15/99.

• Eric Rose, charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, set to appear Mar. 15/99.

• Clara Rumboldt, charged with conspiracy to traffic in hashish, set to appear Mar.8/99.

• Remy Savignac, still before the B.C. courts.

• Danny Savard, found not guilty on Nov.20 of a conspiracy to traffic in hashish, but convicted same day of possession of marijuana charge, fined $1,200.

• Mary-Anne Sheutiapik, charged with trafficking in hashish, conspiracy to traffic in marijuana and trafficking in marijuana, pleaded guilty to a conditional sentence, set to appear in court Dec. 14/98.

• Chesley Short, charged with conspiracy to traffic, trafficking in marijuana and possession of marijuana, set to appear Apr.12/99.

• Jay Wisintainer, charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, conspiracy to traffic in hashish, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, two breaches of undertaking, all charges stayed.

• Jean Louis Wisintainer, charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, set to appear on Apr.12/99.

• Mark Wisintainer, charged with possession of marijuana, pleaded guilty on Oct.26/99 and released for time served.

• young offender, charged under the Young Offender's Act and convicted on two counts of trafficking in marijuana, sentenced to one-month open custody and one-year probation.