Convicted killer/escapee "secretly" released onto Calgary streets..

[transplant99]

The Canadian "justice" system just leaves one shaking their heads at times.

Pobric was sentenced to 20 years in a Bosnian prison following the April 1992 murders of two men. After shooting them execution-style, Pobric burned and buried the bodies and a car in a garbage dump.He was arrested two days later.

In November 1996, he escaped from jail.

Fugitive Elvir Pobric, 37, was secretly freed in Calgary this week, sources say. He is awaiting a hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board to determine his fate.

The hearing, and the IRB's decision to free Pobric from custody until his next appearance, is being kept from the public.

Not telling the public of Pobric's release "exceeded the panel's legal authority and (immigration officials) plan to go to court, if necessary, to have it overturned," according to a Herald source.

I mean...seriously?

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Bo...278/story.html

[transplant99]

A bit more on this atrocity of justice.

"First, while the IRB operates independently of the government, we are concerned this detention hearing was decided in private as well as the secrecy surrounding the hearings and the decision," Alykhan Velshi, spokesman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, said yesterday.

"I would note the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act permits such reviews to be held in public when it is appropriate to do so.

"I note as well the government had strongly argued Pobric's detention should be maintained."

"Any person responsible for a gang-style double execution-murder, who was convicted, who then escaped prison and then gained illegal entry into Canada, ought to be considered a threat to public safety," Calgary Police Association president John Dooks said yesterday.

No kidding.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber...83196-sun.html

[Bagor]

The IRB operates independently of the government.

1. Why?
2. This needs to be changed immediately. Their screening process obviously is flawed/inadequate/incompetent and open to abuse.

So am I right in thinkinbg that the IRB assesses his suitability for refugee status and if acceptable recommends him to CIC who gives him landed immigrant status?

And I'm also confused as to why the hell he wasn't arrested when Interpol released their bulletin. A quick name entry into a computer would have done it ... No?

Pobric claimed refugee status under his own name when he arrived in Canada in 1999.Interpol released a bulletin about Pobric in 2005, but Hamilton police had no idea he was in their city until they received a letter from one of his victims' relatives.

Very worrying.

Nice to see that IRB has no accountability or transparency whatsoever when it comes to public safety.

[Tower]

This is exactly what officials, who have been appointed a position to protect the population and serve, do when they believe they are above laws they must obey, or grossly negligent to them. Either of which requires their dismissal and or due process to a cell.

[BlackArcher101]

Well, he has been here for 10 years with no incidents.

[Resolute 14]

Illegally.

That said, I applaud this decision by the IRB. The best way for a government agency operating without oversight to suddenly gain that oversight is to massively Fck up, and that is exactly what they did here. Expect new laws to be drafted up and passed quickly by the government that alters how the IRB works. Good work, idiots.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Bagor

1. Why?

I will be the first one to say that I do not support a lot of the decisions coming out of this ID and some of the IRB. Having said that, these board members are acting in a quasi judicial role making decisions on detentions, admissibility, refugee claims and removals. They need to be at an arms length from the government otherwise there would be no reason to even have them. They are suppose to act like judges and make sure that the government (CIC and CBSA) are following the laws correctly. The problem is these people do not even have close to the credentials that judges have yet they really think that they are on the same level as a judge.

Nice to see that IRB has no accountability or transparency whatsoever when it comes to public safety.

I agree, very little accountability other than the fact all of their decisions can be appealed to the IAD and federal court. A lot of time and resources to do so.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Well, he has been here for 10 years with no incidents.

That's irrelevant in every sense of the word, and in any real world. This man executed two other men in a black market deal, then broke out of prison and fed to Canada, that makes him a massive flight risk and a potentially dangerous man. Not only that but he still has to face fraud charges for passing bad cheques.

If anything this points to a desired reform to the system and the government should be pushing for the immediate resignation of the entire board.

There's not one good reason for this guy to be free, especially without the public being informed that a convicted murderer and escaped con had been released among us.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If anything this points to a desired reform to the system and the government should be pushing for the immediate resignation of the entire board.

I don't agree with the bolded statement. We have a shortage of board members to begin with, can you imagine how far backlogged out system would become if they all quit?

[CaptainCrunch]

I think in the cases of immigrants that are either answering to criminal charges here or are wanted for criminal offenses back home the courts should have the instant ability to put them on a plane as part of the criminal process, if they want to appeal, they can write a letter to the immigration department when they get home.

If the police arrest somebody who's wanted back home they put him in front of a judge, if they arrest a immigrant that's broken the law here, we send them back home.

Its one thing to accept people in this country that come here and want to change their lives, work hard and integrate into Canadian society. However we've seen to many of the scumbag criminals lately who are using the immigration system and appeal after appeal to extent their stays here at our expense.

There should have been no special thoughts in this case, he's an escaped prisoner, he should have been on a plane back to his former disposition the afternoon that he was captured.

[jolinar of malkshor]

I agree with you that Canada should have the ability to deny protection to criminals and those fleeing justice. The refugee system should not be availble for them. In this persons case the refugee system most likely wouldn't be available to him. The problem is it took 10 years for this information to come to light.

There would need to be a lot of legislative change of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act inorder to remove these people at the governments whim. Right now, people who are inadmissible and even those who have had there refugee claim denied still have an oppertunity to apply for Pre Removal Risk Assesment (PRRA), which is basically another kick at the can to stay as a permanent resident by determining if there is any risk to the subjects life if he goes back. In my opinion PRRA should only be allowed for a small list of countries where we know there is a greater chance of risk. RIght now, almost any person with a removal order can apply for PRRA no matter what country they are being removed to. PRRA decisions are taking 12-18 months to decide because the government has so few officers working on these cases.

I think that any refugee claimant that is made in Canada should have to wear some kind of ankle bracelet so we know where there are at all times.

I agree with you CC but it would take a lot of changes to the act and there is no way the Liberals or the NDP would allow us to make those kind of changes, they care more for the criminals than they do fellow Canadians.

[Bagor]

I'm still curious as to what the screening process was prior to granting this man refugee status. I'd also like to know on what grounds he was claiming refugee status and how much of this was verified.

Was there no police background check done in his home country at all? Also where did he apply for refugee status, In Canada or at one of the foreign embassies?

It's just concerning that someone can be convicted for murder, escape from prison and then get refugee status here under their PROPER name. Not to mention stay here despite Intepol alerts being issued.

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

The problem is it took 10 years for this information to come to light.

I would argue that it took 6 years. Information was out there since 2005 when Interpol released their bulletin. Nothing appears to have happened on that piece of information, the question is ... why not?
Surely a simple name match in the system might have at least flagged this man given he was here under his proper name.

The only reason he was caught was through the work of the relatives of one of his victims. If they hadn't contacted the cops over here who knows how long he'd have evaded the system.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think in the cases of immigrants that are either answering to criminal charges here or are wanted for criminal offenses back home the courts should have the instant ability to put them on a plane as part of the criminal process, if they want to appeal, they can write a letter to the immigration department when they get home.

Isn't it a mandatory part of the immigration process for a police background check to be submitted from any country that you've lived? I thought the rationale behind this was to refuse status to people with less than stellar histories?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

That's irrelevant in every sense of the word, and in any real world.

I guess I'm looking at it similarily to him being on bail awaiting his next hearing. If he had done something criminal here that got him arrested he would still probably have been released (of course that depends on the crime).

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Bagor

I'm still curious as to what the screening process was prior to granting this man refugee status.

There is a background check that is done on all refugee claimants which is usually done by CSIS. Why the info wasn't found out, who knows, maybe communication with law enforcement in Bosnia wasn't all that reliable just after the war.

I'd also like to know on what grounds he was claiming refugee status and how much of this was verified.

Very little of the information is verified in refugee determination hearing, it is usually determined on the strength of the claimants story and any information that they provide.

Also where did he apply for refugee status, In Canada or at one of the foreign embassies?

It looks like he made the application in Canada.

It's just concerning that someone can be convicted for murder, escape from prison and then get refugee status here under their PROPER name.

Very concerning, just another example of why the refugee system needs to change.

Not to mention stay here despite Intepol alerts being issued.

To be fair, if the alert came after he had become a permanent resident, how would Canadian authorities know? It's not like they run everyones name every year to see if there are any new interpol warrants outstanding.

I would argue that it took 6 years. Information was out there since 2005 when Interpol released their bulletin. Nothing appears to have happened on that piece of information, the question is ... why not?

Who know, maybe they could not find him. Looks like there was a warrant for his arrest issued and once they tracked him down they went and arrested him.

The only reason he was caught was through the work of the relatives of one of his victims. If they hadn't contacted the cops over here who knows how long he'd have evaded the system.

Very true.

Isn't it a mandatory part of the immigration process for a police background check to be submitted from any country that you've lived? I thought the rationale behind this was to refuse status to people with less than stellar histories?

Refugee claimants do not need to provide a background check, it is up to the government of Canada and CSIS to do this. Regular permanent resident applicants need to provide the back ground check.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I guess I'm looking at it similarily to him being on bail awaiting his next hearing. If he had done something criminal here that got him arrested he would still probably have been released (of course that depends on the crime).

I don't know of any criminal judge that would release a criminal on bail that is an escaped convict, especially one that's convicted of capital murder.

That is the crux that pisses me off so much, and makes me wonder what this panel was thinking.

As soon as he was arrested and it was verified that he had escaped custody, then he should have been on a plane home.

This never should have gone in front of the immigration authorities, its a criminal matter.

And as far as the back ground checks go, they've proven to be more then useless as we seem to get a lot of former criminals into this country.