p2pnet news view | Music:- “Read this if you like a good laugh,” says a Reader’s Write to our Online music royalties deal story.
The comment points to an item in The Register, which in turn links to Britain’s Evening Gazette in Teeside which has a write-up of a serious embarrassment centering on the Big 4 record labels and the Cleveland police — the very same department whose officers have been acting as corporate copyright cops funded by local taxpayers.
In Canada, it’s called SOCAN. Its job? To use legal threats to force the likes of dentists and hairdressers to pay exorbitant royalty fees every time they play music for their patients and customers.
In Britain, it’s the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and, says the Gazette Live, “A police force that launched a crackdown against music piracy may itself be breaching music copyright laws, it has emerged.
“But Cleveland Police chiefs today claimed they would rather spend public cash on fighting crime than paying for music rights.”
Last October, “Cleveland Police’s Organised Crime Unit have been working closely with the Music Industry to uncover a massive piracy scam, the first such international operation in the country,” it boasted in an online statement, going on »»»
The organised crime unit, in conjunction with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) have been working closely on the investigation for several months, and today arrested a 24 year old man in connection with Conspiracy to Defraud and Infringement of Copyright Law.
Detective Sergeant Tony Keogh was in charge and according to him, the site, OiNK, “specialized in sharing music and media including pre-release material, this is an infringement on copyright law that in financial terms causes immeasurable loss to the record companies.”
In the statement, “We have been working closely with Interpol and our Dutch colleagues in Amsterdam where the website server is based to ensure that it too was secured at the time of arrest,” he says.
And on behalf of the corporate music industry, “whilst some might view this type of act as a victimless crime there’s no such thing, as the cost of an enterprise such as this will be added to the cost of any legitimate purchases further down the line,” declares chief superintendent Mark Braithwaite, head of crime in Cleveland Police.
Said a p2pnet post on the bust »»»
“Strike, strtike, strike, going in,” says a tense, disembodied voice over a police radio in Britain.
Must be something serious.
And just before that, “The tactics were the same, but this time the target was very different.”
That’s from a reporter who, by an amazing coincidence, happened to find out about the Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG initiated raid on a 24-year-old man in England just in time to be included.
The man is accused of facilitating the non-existent crime of online file sharing on OiNK and, “The aim was to catch the man while he was logged on to the site,” the reporter continues in a video shot from inside a police car nearing the home of the ’suspect’.
But he’s not alone.
As the videoman follows the police into the man’s house, you see camera flashes popping off.
Next up is local cop enjoying his 15 minutes of fame as the Big 4 milk the situation they created bone dry.
“The police say it is no longer a victimless crime,” the reporter continues, “but they admit few feel sympathy for the multi-billion-dollar record companies being deprived of their profits.”
By another amazing coincidence, the video of the bust turned up on YouTube, as a p2pnet reader pointed out.
British taxpayers will no doubt be delighted to see their hard earned money is being well spent – by Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG.
Don’t bother to stay tuned.
“Alan Ellis the admin of OiNK, will appear in court along with five users accused of uploading music via the BitTorrent tracker. The six will appear before magistrates to learn if their cases will be sent on to a Crown Court,” says TorrentFreak.
And the apprehension of these wicked, file sharing P2P criminals is largely due to the sterling efforts of the Cleveland cops.
But wait!
“Music licensing authority the Performing Rights Society (PRS) claims many forces have no licence to allow the playing of music in their stations,” said the Gazette Online yesterday, going on:
“A PRS licence is required by law in many cases when music is played outside a domestic home.
“The licence fee – which for a whole police force could run from several hundred to thousands of pounds a year – is applicable to music played on a television, radio or CD player, music played in areas such as staff canteens or social areas, and during a presentation or social event.
“Cleveland Police is among dozens of forces that have not paid up.”
But no worries.
“The legal action is on hold while negotiations take place in a bid to reach a settlement,” the story adds.
After all, what are friends for?
Here’s a video of the bust referred to earlier on.
The Register – BitTorrent crackdown cops fail to pay music copyright fees, September 24, 2008
Evening Gazette – No licence for police, September 24, 2008
Cleveland Police, the force that will today bring six people to court for alleged involvement in the OiNK BitTorrent network, does not pay licensing fees to legally play music in its canteens, it has emerged.
Rumours that Cleveland Police was infringing copyright law have been circulating for several months. Yesterday the Middlesborough Gazette reported the force admitted the transgression and said it had not decided whether to pay its Performing Rights Society (PRS) subs.
The PRS collects royalties for artists and record companies from non-domestic performance of recorded copyright music.
A spokeswoman confirmed Cleveland Police’s position to El Reg today.
A statement from Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard said: “We continue to assess the position and are seeking advice to determine if we are required by law to spend a significant amount of public money, which we consider is better committed to crime fighting, in this way.” That Quote is priceless
The PRS argues that police forces are required to pay the same as other organisations. It issued a High Court writ against police in Lancashire earlier this year for the same infringment Cleveland has admitted.
PRS said only 11 forces nationwide have paid for the legal right to play copyright music in staff areas. Action against the Lancashire Constabulary has been suspended while the parties attempt to negotiate a settlement.
Depending on where and how it it plays copyright music, Cleveland Police can expect a PRS bill of between a few hundred and a few thousand pounds.
Alan Ellis, the 25-year-old administrator of OiNK, will face Teesside magistrates today on a charge of conspiracy to defraud. Five individuals who were arrested following last year’s raids on Ellis and OiNK’s servers will also appear, accused of criminal copyright infringement for uploading new trackers to the site.
All of the alleged offences could carry prison sentences. ® Corrupt Cleveland Police Officers.
I think this amounts to conspiracy to defraud the music industry as Derek Bonnard clearly conspired with others not to pay. But Cleveland Police have always been willing to break the law when it suits them. Opinion By Brian Howes.
A POLICE force that launched a crackdown against music piracy may itself be breaching music copyright laws, it has emerged.
But Cleveland Police chiefs today claimed they would rather spend public cash on fighting crime than paying for music rights.
Music licensing authority the Performing Rights Society (PRS) claims many forces have no licence to allow the playing of music in their stations.
A PRS licence is required by law in many cases when music is played outside a domestic home.
The licence fee – which for a whole police force could run from several hundred to thousands of pounds a year – is applicable to music played on a television, radio or CD player, music played in areas such as staff canteens or social areas, and during a presentation or social event.
Cleveland Police is among dozens of forces that have not paid up. Last year the force made headlines across the world when it swooped on a Middlesbrough house to crack a suspected international music piracy scam worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
It is alleged the website, called Oink, involved a private file sharing site with a worldwide membership of 180,000 people. It is said to have allowed the uploading and downloading of pre-release music. The high-profile raid sent shock waves around the internet world.
Now Cleveland Police may itself have fallen foul of music copyright laws.
Other businesses that require a licence if music is played include hairdressers or shops.
The PRS has taken Lancashire Police to the High Court asking for an injunction over the issue. The legal action is on hold while negotiations take place in a bid to reach a settlement.
A PRS spokeswoman said only around 11 police forces in the UK currently hold a licence.
Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard said: “We continue to assess the position and are seeking advice to determine if we are required by law to spend a significant amount of public money, which we consider is better committed to crime fighting, in this way.”
Six people have been charged in connection with the Oink arrests in October of last year and are due before Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
Today, after almost a year, the OiNK investigation came to an end. Earlier today we reported that OiNK administrator Alan Ellis was charged with “conspiracy to defraud”. Now, just hours later the alleged uploaders are charged with copyright infringement for uploading one CD.
This May, five men and one woman were arrested for sharing music on OiNK. The suspects were taken in for questioning, and required to provide DNA samples and fingerprints.
Two months later, two of the six alleged uploaders were released from further investigation, but (at least) two of the remaining four have been charged today. The alleged uploaders were charged with copyright infringement for uploading one CD. The “conspiracy to defraud” accusations vanished, as they were not mentioned.
The case(s) will be heard in two weeks at a Magistrates Court, after which there is a possibility that it will be passed onto a Crown court. TorrentFreak had the chance to talk to one of the charged uploaders. “I think it’s a sledgehammer to crack a walnut,” he said. The alleged uploader is convinced that he is being used to set an example.
It is indeed strange that thousands of UK residents get off with a friendly warning letter from their ISP, while the four OiNK uploaders are being charged for doing exactly the same thing. The fact that it is only one CD makes the case even more bizarre.
OiNK was one of the largest private BitTorrent trackers, hosting hundreds and thousands of torrents. The site was shut down in a joint effort by Dutch and British law enforcement in October 2007, based on intel from the IFPI and the BPI, two well known anti-piracy organizations.
The police have yet to release an official statement, so more details about the charges may come available in the coming days. Until then, the BPI told us they can not comment on the case.
What I want to know is will the Media the BBC the Middlesbrough Gazette Publish apologies for their miss reporting or at least report the truth about Cleveland Police.
What jury from Middlesbrough will convict an individual for uploading Music when some of them will have down-loaded the very same Music.
Cleveland Police have been in breech of Copyright Law for Years. Come on Media Cleveland Police are either taking you for mugs or your just not interested in printing the truth even when it is against the Police.
OK, I promised not to rant about piracy too much anymore, but this is a big story, so here goes **
After almost a year of waiting, OiNK.cd admin, Alan Ellis, has finally been charged with “conspiracy to defraud” by Cleveland Police. For anyone that isnt familiar with the story: OiNK.cd was a bit-torrent tracker, specialising in the sharing of high quality (V0 MP3, Q10 Ogg and Flac) rips of albums (Just like the stuff you dont get on iTunes). It was shut down in October 2007 in a joint operation between British and Dutch law enforcement agencies.
Cleveland police initially stated charges would be announced in December 2007. It is only now, 5 postponements and 11 months since he was first arrested (in a terrorist style dawn raid, broadcast to the nation on BBC News), that Cleveland police have managed to find something to charge him with.
From TorrentFreak:
Interestingly, the charges against Ellis are not related to copyright offenses. Instead, he has been charged with “conspiracy to defraud”, further details about the charges are not available at the moment, but are likely to be released in the coming days. On 24th September, the case will he heard at a magistrates court.
We are also expecting new of charges being being brought against 4 others, who allegedly uploaded torrents to OiNK.cd. We aren’t sure what these charges will be yet (nothing about this can be found on the Cleveland police website).
I am not going to list all the dodgy things that have been going on with this police operation (Leaked emails, wiped hard drives, downright lies being broadcast by police on national television), because they can be found all over the Internet, all I hope is that Alan manages to get out of this without too much damage and the police realise that operations like this are absolutely pointless and make things no better for them (There are at least 15 ‘OiNK piglet’ sites that were setup in the wake of this that I can think of (and I have stopped pirating anything!) and at least 2 that are bordering on the size of OiNK). Good luck Alan!
THE UK GOVERNMENT ALLOWS UK CITIZENS TO BE EXTRADITED EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED IN THEIR ABSENCE TO FACE JAIL TERMS WITHOUT ANY CHANCE OF APPEAL OR RE-TRIAL.
Two Essex men face months of waiting to find out if they must return to Cyprus to serve a three-year jail sentence for their involvement in a teenager’s death.
Luke Atkinson, 24, and Michael Binnington, 23, both from Witham, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court hoping to discover whether they had won their fight against extradition.
But the case was adjourned to a later date, and it is likely to be taken to the High Court next year before it is resolved.
The two men were passengers in a car driven by Atkinson’s uncle Julian Harrington in Protaras, Cyprus, in 2006, when it hit a moped, killing the bike’s pillion passenger, Christof Papiris, 17.
Harrington, also from Witham, is serving a 15-year jail sentence after admitting manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm.
Atkinson and Binnington have said they were only involved “unwittingly” as back seat passengers in a highly drunken state.
They were initially acquitted, but at an appeal hearing in April at the Supreme Court of Cyprus which they did not attend, they were found guilty of conspiracy to cause manslaughter. They were sentenced to three years in prison and European Arrest Warrants were later issued to return them to Cyprus.
District Judge Quentin Purdy has ruled: “The Supreme Court of Cyprus conducted a trial at which both men deliberately absented themselves.”
He adjourned the case to September 19 when another hearing date will be set. Both men are on bail.
It must now be decided whether the trial in Cyprus was fair and in compliance with the Human Rights Act and both sides have indicated they will appeal any extradition decision in the High Court, which means the issue is not likely to be resolved until at least the beginning of next year.
Audrey Phillips was shot in the head – yet accused of murdering her husband
A MERSEYSIDE woman today (Tuesday) told of her ordeal after being shot in the head, then accused of her murdering her husband who died in the same incident.
Audrey Phillips spent most of last year awaiting trial in a US state penitentiary after being extradited from Britain.
Alex Stone is a blind computer science graduate
from south London who had worked for a bank for ten years.
In May 2003 he joined an email list for blind people,
and started chatting to a woman called Alma from Kansas City.
Alex Stone was Extradited a found not guilty after a year in prison.
A couple who sold chemicals that are legal in the UK have been held on remand in Scotland and seen family life torn apart; a UFO spotter who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome has been dubbed a cyber-terrorist … now they are on their way to the US against their will, thanks to the Extradition Act 2003The Howes family: by Billy Briggs and John Bynorth
TODAY, BETWEEN 9am and 10am, Brian Howes, will visit his local police station in Bo’ness to comply with the conditions of his bail. This evening, between 6pm and 7pm, he will return there once again. Howes must then be home by 8pm, and he will not be allowed to leave his house again until 8am the following day.
Howes is under curfew and these are the strict conditions he has been living under since his release from Saughton Prison, in Edinburgh, last year. There, he spent 214 days on remand. His wife, Kerry-Ann, spent the same amount of time in Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only all-female prison, and visits the police station each day between 1pm and 2pm to sign in. Neither of these people have been convicted of a crime. While they were in prison their four daughters were looked after by grandparents.
In a case that once again highlights the controversial impact on Scottish justice of the post-9/11 extradition treaty signed between the UK and the US in March 2003, the Howes are facing extradition to the US on allegations of supplying chemicals over the internet in a conspiracy to produce the drug crystal meth.
The Extradition Act 2003 removed the obligation on US law enforcement agencies to present British courts with prima facie evidence of a suspect’s criminality. The US must only provide “written information” relating to an alleged wrongdoing to win an extradition.
While debate raged across Britain last year about the 42-day limit for terrorist suspects, Brian, 44, and, Kerry-Ann, 30, spent seven months on remand. Under the treaty, Scottish timescales which restrict the length of time an accused can be held in custody pre-trial do not apply.
Crystal meth – a form of amphetamine – is a highly dangerous drug that has pervaded the poorer sections of American society for the past 20 years. Psuedoephedrine, iodine and red phosphorus are the three main chemicals require to make the drug.
Howes – an amateur pyrotechnician with experience of handling chemicals from working in a chroming factory – denies that he and his wife, who is now pregnant, broke the law by selling iodine and red phosphorus.
But federal prosecutors at the Drug Enforcement Agency in Arizona allege they were part of a drugs racket supplying a global network of meth labs in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
Iodine and red phosphorus were just two of about 60 substances the Howeses offered for sale.
The couple insist that red phosphorus is often bought by amateur fireworks fans, and that the iodine they supplied was marked for medical use. Both chemicals are perfectly legal in the UK, but are strictly controlled by the US.
Howes denied that any of his products were intended for underground crystal meth manufacturing labs. He said: “We were in a legitimate business registered with the Home Office and the Health and Safety Executive.
“The US says on the indictment that we were supplying crystal meth labs, but it’s absolutely ridiculous to suggest that some chemicals we were selling in the UK were being sold to drug dealers.
The Health and Safety Executive in Edinburgh confirmed it had inspected Howes’s business premises on several occasions and only expressed concern over the way he stored chemicals.
However, because of the extradition deal in place with the US, no Scottish court will ever hear his arguments.
The Howeses were released in August 2008 after Brian spent 30 days on hunger strike. The result is that his speech has been affected and he may have suffered brain damage.
The couple are waiting on a final high court appeal that could see them taken to a prison in the Arizona desert to await trial. They may have to wait up to three years before their case is heard. Kerry-Ann, diagnosed with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, and their girls – Leela, two, Ellie, five, Bethaney, nine, and Denni, 11 – will have to go into care if the extradition goes ahead.
Howes, who also has two other children, Ryan, 12, and Jessica, eight, from another relationship, warned that the effects of being separated from their children could drive the couple to suicide.
He said: “The effect on the kids has already been traumatic. I used to phone them up from prison and they couldn’t cope without it. It has been horrible.
“We have told all the kids that if we go to America there is a terrible possibility we may never come back. My kids are my life. If we had to go to that prison in Arizona, I know my wife would die and I would die shortly afterwards.”
A conviction for unlawful importation of regulated chemicals carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
Its time our courts took the lead and gets rid of this treaty… or perhaps we should just opt for independence and then un-ratify this one sided treaty.. There was a bit on telly last night Jeremy Clarkson which went on about why did the westminster government pull all the research and give it to the USA before stopping our own research..so I guess nothing new in the usa riding roughshod over us..
Its time our courts took the lead and gets rid of this treaty…
or perhaps we should just opt for independence and then un-ratify this one sided treaty..There was a bit on telly last night Jeremy Clarkson which went on about why did the westminster government pull all the research and give it to the USA before stopping our own research..so I guess nothing new in the usa riding roughshod over us..
This extradition treaty with the Septics is a farce, and a one-sided farce at that. Not only are the Septics not required to provide prima facie evidence to a Scottish court before being given the right to extradite people from this country, but they do not reciprocate as regards Septic criminals. The Septics will not allow any of their nationals to be extradited to other countries, for any crime, including murder and rape. In cases involving their armed forces, they will spirit them out of the country where they have committed an offence, to put them beyond the reach of local justice. The New Labour Sleaze and Corruption Party has sold out the people by agreeing to such a one-sided, unequal treaty, which removes the normal legal rights of citizens of this country. The sooner Scotland is independent, the sooner we can get out from under yet another example of the “union dividend”.
This extradition treaty with the Septics is a farce, and a one-sided farce at that.Not only are the Septics not required to provide prima facie evidence to a Scottish court before being given the right to extradite people from this country, but they do not reciprocate as regards Septic criminals.
The Septics will not allow any of their nationals to be extradited to other countries, for any crime, including murder and rape. In cases involving their armed forces, they will spirit them out of the country where they have committed an offence, to put them beyond the reach of local justice.
The New Labour Sleaze and Corruption Party has sold out the people by agreeing to such a one-sided, unequal treaty, which removes the normal legal rights of citizens of this country.
The sooner Scotland is independent, the sooner we can get out from under yet another example of the “union dividend”.
Chris – the point is that he should be entitled to a fair trial. Innocent until proven guilty, it’s the principle that underpins our justice system. how would you feel if you were denied the chance to defend yourself in court before being extradited?
Chris -the point is that he should be entitled to a fair trial. Innocent until proven guilty, it’s the principle that underpins our justice system. how would you feel if you were denied the chance to defend yourself in court before being extradited?
Posted by: Brian Howes, Bo’Ness on 6:42pm Sun 7 Sep 08
Do some of you people really think it is fair to spend years in prison while your kids go in to care while waiting for a trial in an Arizona desert? Come on only Americans could feel that way sinse it will not happen to them. Extradition and lives destroyed without evidence is what is att stake here. It could happen to anybody in the UK.
Do some of you people really think it is fair to spend years in prison while your kids go in to care while waiting for a trial in an Arizona desert? Come on only Americans could feel that way sinse it will not happen to them. Extradition and lives destroyed without evidence is what is att stake here. It could happen to anybody in the UK.
Innocent Victim Of CIA Extraordinary Rendition Program Takes Case To International Tribunal (4/9/2008)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Khaled El-Masri Denied Justice By U.S. Courts, Says ACLU
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of Khaled El-Masri, an innocent victim of the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” program. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear El-Masri’s case in October 2007.
“The United States justice system denied an innocent victim of the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program his day in court,” said Steven Watt, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Human Rights Program. “El-Masri and the countless other victims of extraordinary rendition are left without judicial recourse in the United States, and they have no choice but to turn to the international community for justice.”
In 2003, El-Masri, a German citizen, was kidnapped and flown to a CIA-run “black site” in Afghanistan, where he was tortured and forbidden from contacting his family or a lawyer. Even after realizing he was innocent, the CIA continued to hold El-Masri for two more months before abandoning him on a hillside in Albania with no explanation, never having charged him with a crime.
The ACLU sued former CIA Director George Tenet and others on El-Masri’s behalf, seeking compensation and an apology for subjecting him to the unlawful extraordinary rendition program. The lawsuit charged Tenet and others with violating U.S. and universal human rights laws. In March 2007, a federal appeals court dismissed the lawsuit because of the government’s assertion of the “state secrets” privilege. The U.S. Supreme Court let that decision stand when it refused to hear the case in October.
The state secrets privilege has historically been used to exclude discrete pieces of evidence from trials, but in recent years the government has asserted the privilege with increasing regularity in order to block entire lawsuits and justify withholding information from the public about rendition, illegal wiretapping, torture, and other breaches of U.S. and international law.
“This administration has routinely abused the state secrets privilege to avoid any accountability for egregious violations of the Constitution and international law,” said Ben Wizner, staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. “The United States, which has historically been a leader in ensuring access to justice for human rights violations around the world, now risks becoming a pariah and undermining the values it has long promoted.”
The IACHR is an autonomous body created by mandate of the Organization of American States to promote and protect human rights. The ACLU petition asks the IACHR to declare that the extraordinary rendition program violates the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; to find the U.S. responsible for violating El-Masri’s rights under that declaration; and to recommend that the U.S. publicly acknowledge and apologize for its role in violating El-Masri’s rights to be free from arbitrary detention and torture.
Attorneys filing the petition on El-Masri’s behalf are Watt, Jamil Dakwar and Jennifer Turner of the ACLU Human Rights Program and Wizner and Melissa Goodman of the ACLU National Security Project.
More information about Khaled El-Masri and the ACLU’s work to end the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program is available online here: www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/rendition.html
MY TAKE IS THAT GLOBAL CROSSING IS THE BACKBONE OF ILLEGAL MONITORING OF NOT JUST AMERICANS BUT EUROPE AS DETAILED RECORDS EXIST OF THE FBI, DEA, HOMELAND SECURITY READING EMAILS WATCHING INTERNET SURFING PATTERNS AND YES THE NETWORK HAS ACCESS TO THE DIGITAL PHONE LINES AND I AM SAYING THAT THIS IS THE WHOLE US, UK AND MORE EVERYBODY NOT JUST SUSPECTS.
I FEEL THIS IS AGAINST OUR HUMAN RIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I SPEAK OR EMAIL A LAWYER HOW CAN YOU GET A FAIR HEARING IF EVERYTHING IS RECORDED . BY BRIAN HOWES.
Global Crossing Ltd., the telecom firm filed for bankruptcy on January 28, 2002 and is facing two federal investigations.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into whether Global Crossing used improper accounting methods to inflate income, the company has acknowledged, and there are reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigations is also probing the firm.
The fact that Global Crossing is essentially an American company based off-shore in Bermuda may also raise some suspicions of chicanery, said Robert Rosenberg, president of the Insight Research Corp., a telecom consultancy based in Parsippany, N.J.
Global Crossing’s original business plan was to lay optical fiber under the oceans to link continents and sell capacity to other networks. Global Crossing has proposed to a bankruptcy court in New York that some $12.4 billion in debt be forgiven, and it has agreed to a buyout by two Asian telecommunications firms, Hong Kong’s Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Singapore Technologies Telemedia Ltd.
Under the proposal before the court the two Asian companies would emerge with a 79 percent stake in Global Crossing’s fiber network while creditors would receive the remaining 21 percent as well as some cash and financial notes.
Shareholders would receive nothing.
A former Global Crossing vice president of finance, Roy Olofson alleged in a letter dated Aug. 6, 2001, that the firm used improper accounting practices to inflate revenues. The company disputes that, but said it will launch an independent investigation using an auditor other than Chicago-based Andersen, which is its regular auditing firm, to look into the allegations.
Reuters news service reported that federal law enforcement officials said the FBI is looking into Global Crossing’s affairs, although an FBI spokesman said the agency doesn’t comment on investigations.
Telecom industry experts were surprised to hear of FBI interest in the matter.
Global Crossing Ltd. (NYSE: GX) provides integrated telecommunications solutions over the world’s most extensive global IP-based fiber-optic network, which will have over 100,000 route miles, reaching 27 countries and more than 200 major cities. Global Crossing serves many of the world’s largest corporations, providing a full range of managed data and voice products and services.
Global Crossing operates throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region, and provides services in Asia through its subsidiary, Asia Global Crossing.
Global Crossing Solutions provides integrated telecommunications solutions, including network outsourcing, to large global enterprises. Founded: March 1997 Headquarters: Wessex House 45 Reid Street Hamilton HM12 Bermuda
Sheriff Joe Arpaio takes credit for many things where the credit is not his to take. It is time for some truth about the sheriff.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: The Sheriff claims he has a .50 caliber machine gun for use in shooting down terrorist aircraft or explosive laden tractor-trailer rigs. He also claims the machine gun is the only one owned by a U.S. law enforcement agency.
Truth: The part about the gun being the only one in U.S. law enforcement is probably true and for good reason. Other police chiefs and sheriffs realize that a .50 caliber machine gun is so powerful and so dangerous that it has no place in civilian police work. As to shooting down airplanes and destroying trucks loaded with explosives, how would Sheriff Sheriff Joe Arpaio know which ones to shoot at? It is highly unlikely that the terrorists would notify authorities when and where they are going to strike so the gun could be put in place. Also, Sheriff Sheriff Joe Arpaio stated that, unlike the U.S. Air Force, he needs no presidential authority before shooting down airplanes.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: The Norberg wrongful death lawsuit was settled out of court for $8.25 million. Sheriff Sheriff Joe Arpaio has repeatedly claimed that this cost the taxpayers nothing since it was paid by an insurance company.
Truth: At the time of the settlement the county had a $1 million “deductible” on its coverage. The taxpayers had to pay the first $1,000,000 on this case and now the deductible has been raised to $5 million.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He arrested Elvis Presley.
Truth: Actually, Sheriff Joe Arpaio sometimes claims to have arrested Elvis and other times he claims to have stopped him for a traffic violation. No police records nor Presley family records have ever surfaced to show any contact between Elvis and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He invented the idea of housing prisoners in tents.
Truth: The Arizona Department of Corrections has used tents for decades. Facilities in other states also used tents before Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He claims credit for feeding green bologna (surplus food) to inmates.
Truth: Jails and prisons here in Arizona and all over the county feed surplus food to inmates and have done so for many years.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He was a Korean War veteran.
Truth: This one is tricky. He was in the Army during the Korean War but he never set foot there. His overseas assignment was in France.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He is the “Toughest Sheriff in America”.
Truth: This is a title he gave himself. During his years as sheriff he has not made even one arrest and, on those rare occasions where he was present when an arrest was necessary , others had to do it.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He is the “Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the County” and has authority over all police departments and the DPS.
Truth: Another meaningless title. He has no authority over other police agencies.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He broke the famous “French Connection.”
Truth: The people really involved in this case never heard of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He was involved in “numerous gun battels” and “weekly shootout” as a DEA agent.
Truth: Virtually no one in the police business believes these claims. There would be something desperately wrong with any police officer that gets into weekly shootout.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Wants people to think he created the posse program.
Truth: The modern day posse program dates back to the 1930s. These volunteer groups provide a wide range of important services to the county including search and rescue, enforcement support, and community crime prevention. Many of the posse members resent being used by Sheriff Joe Arpaio for publicity stunts like the “Van Buren Street Prostitution Patrol.”
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Recidivism in the jails was reduced during his time as sheriff.
Truth: Sheriff Joe Arpaio spent $10,000 in taxpayer money to have Arizona State University study recidivism in the jail system. The result showed that there was no change in the rate at which inmates returned to jail. Sheriff Joe Arpaio immediately declared that ASU was wrong.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Prior to his election he declared that the sheriff should be an appointed position like that of chiefs of police and that he would only serve one term.
Truth: Within weeks of his election he “changed his mind” and announced he would run for another term.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: On the two occasions where he spent a night in the tent city jail he claimed that there were no special security arrangements to protect him.
Truth: The Sheriff’s Office Tactical Operations Unit (SWAT TEAM) was on-duty, on overtime, all night, guarding him from a nearby building.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He built the tent city jail because of overcrowding in the regular jails.
Truth: To insure there were enough inmates for the much publicized tent city jail he closed an entire floor of the First Avenue Jail.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: He has saved the taxpayers millions of dollars.
Truth: He has cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees, lawsuits, attorneys fees, settlements, judgments, photographs of himself, videos of himself, and maintaining his personal public relations staff.
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