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Judge orders arrest of drug suspect

'He's making a mockery of the system'

Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 15/02) - The wheels of justice are closing in on fugitive Constantine Savas.

Territorial court Judge Brian Bruser signed a bench warrant for Savas' arrest Tuesday, and virtually demanded he be brought in.

"There will be no adjournments. He is to be arrested," an angry-sounding Bruser told Crown attorney Loretta Colton after Savas failed to appear in court.

Savas' legal odyssey began in November 2000, when he was arrested during Operation Guiness.

Savas faces two charges of trafficking in marijuana under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. However, he failed to appear for his trial in May.

A bench warrant was issued at that time, but police were unable to locate Savas until January of this year.

Kelowna RCMP charged Savas with obstruction in early January. He appeared in provincial court in the B.C. city Jan. 15 and pleaded guilty. Judge J.P. Cartwright sentenced him to one day in jail, then ordered him released on a promise to appear in Yellowknife Feb. 5 to answer to the trafficking charges.

Savas didn't appear, but a friend acting on his behalf asked Judge Michel Bourassa to put the matter over one week until Feb. 12.

Savas was nowhere to be seen during Tuesday's docket day, and no one was present in court to act as an agent.

All this seemed too much for Bruser, who recited some of the text from a bench warrant.

"This is, therefore, to command you, in Her Majesty's name, forthwith to arrest the said accused and to bring him before me or any justice," Bruser said.

Colton told the court she had been in contact with Savas that day, and that he was expected to request the matters be dealt with in Kelowna.

Bruser was unmoved.

"He has three outstanding warrants. He's making a mockery of the system," he said.

Reached on Wednesday, the duty watch commander at the Kelowna RCMP detachment said they had not yet received orders to pick up Savas.

"By the time they issued a bench warrant to the time it's entered onto CPIC (the RCMP's computer system), there's a time lag," Staff Sgt. Phil Boissenault said. RCMP "G" division spokesperson Sgt. Phil Johnson said the bench warrant will first go to police in Yellowknife, who would then forward it to police in Kelowna.