Sunday, February 10, 2008

Unopened Envelopes Containing Potential Evidence From Criminal Cases Found In Dr. Smith's Office At Hospital For Sick Children; Witness Statements;

"SHE OBSERVED THAT THE BOXES CONTAINED A VARIETY OF POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT MATERIAL, AND INCLUDED UNOPENED ENVELOPES THAT APPEARED TO CONTAIN EVIDENCE FROM CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS."

"FROM WITNESS STATEMENT OF DOROTHY ZWOLAKOWSKI FILED INTO EVIDENCE AT THE GOUDGE INQUIRY';

An official from the Ontario Chief Coroner's Office says she discovered potentially important evidence relating to criminal cases in unopened envelopes in boxes in Dr. Charles Smith's office at the Hospital For Sick Children.

This revelation comes from a "witness statement" made by Dorothy Zwolakowski, an official of the Ontario Chief Coroner's office, which has been filed in evidence at the Goudge Inquiry.

(The "witness statements" are actually summaries of statements of potential witnesses provided to Inquiry staff);

According to this statement:

"Ms. Zwolakowski reported that at the end of the audit (in the spring of 2005 H.L.), Dr. Smith’s office was much more orderly than before.

Ms. Zwolakowski recalls that (Hospital For Sick Children) needed the office and the pathology department was moving.

Hospital For Sick Children) staff placed the contents of Dr. Smith’s office into 59 boxes.

Ms. Zwolakowski was concerned that the (Ontario Chief Coroner's Office) might need future access to the contents of the boxes, and that (the Hospital For Sick Children) might at some point send the boxes to Dr. Smith.

She observed that the boxes contained a variety of potentially important material, and included unopened envelopes that appeared to contain evidence from criminal proceedings in other jurisdictions."


The witness statement dies not indicate what steps the Chief Coroner's office criminal cases were involved - and what steps, if any, were taken to ensure that they were brought to the respective police officers, crown attorneys, and defence lawyers.

Nor is there any indication as to whether these criminal cases where still before the courts - or had been concluded.

It would seem to this Blogster that the public has a strong interest in learning the number of these envelopes, their contents, the criminal cases involved, how long they had been sitting in unopened envelopes in Dr. Smith's office, and the steps taken in the aftermath of their discovery.

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;