Comox Valley Echo

The Abo-Nofals were all smiles at a recent event held to welcome them into our community. They are so grateful to everyone who has supported them, both in making it possible for them to come to the Valley and as they have settled in during the last two months. They are all busy learning English and making new friends.

They will be even happier in a few days when they welcome their old friends, the Al Halaaqs. They will be relieved, as will the Comox Valley Refugee Support Committee, that their friends have been able to leave the United Nations camp after many years and escape the present horrors of Syria. The Al Halaaqs, also Palestinian Iraqi refugees, have lived a few tents away from the Abo Nofals for the last two years and were forced to leave Baghdad four years ago.

The Al Halaaq family have seven children and all will be enrolled in schools in the Valley. Their rented home in Comox is almost ready for them. The community has been generous in providing furnishings and an older van for transportation. We are still looking for a computer and laptop. We also need winter clothing for the family and toys for the children; the girls are 7,9,11 and 14 and the boys are 12, 17 and 18.

No legal aid for man accused of war crimes

The Canadian Press

Jorge Vinicio Orantes Sosa

CALGARY – The Alberta Court of Appeal has denied legal aid to a man who has been ordered extradited to the United States to face immigration charges.

Jorge Vinicio Orantes Sosa (hore-HAY’ Vin-EE’-see-OH’ ORR’-ent-EHS’ SOH’-sah) is also wanted by Guatemalan authorities for alleged war crimes.

Sosa wanted a legal-aid lawyer to help him appeal the extradition order.

But the Appeal Court says there is no evidence to justify a publicly funded lawyer.

The court points out Sosa’s notice of appeal came after a 30-day deadline, but the justices ruled he can apply for an extension.

Sosa is accused of lying to immigration officials about his past when he applied for U.S. citizenship.

He is also a Canadian citizen and remains in custody in Calgary while he appeals his extradition.

Guatemalan authorities allege he participated in a massacre of 251 men, women and children in a village in the Central American country in 1982.

Sosa, who denies the allegations, was arrested last year in Lethbridge, Alta.

Controversial Canadian Muslim preacher Bilal Philips deported from Kenya over security concerns: report

Stewart Bell

Philips, "a model New-Canadian"

TORONTO — The controversial Canadian Muslim preacher Bilal Philips has been deported from Kenya due to security concerns, hours after he landed in the country for a speaking tour, Nairobi newspapers are reporting.

“We had to turn him away because he easily mobilizes people using his controversial teachings wherever he goes,” said Njiru Mwaniki, chief of the Anti-Terrorism Police. “This is dangerous to our country.”

The police chief said Mr. Philips “has been in terror circles,” the Nation reported. The Standard quoted a senior immigration official involved in the deportation, who said, “He is not wanted here because he may poison our youth through his controversial preaching.”

He was deported on Wednesday.

February 23, 2012 – 8:00pm By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor

Ugandan refugee Demello helps immigrants set up businesses in Halifax

A Halifax businessman says he didn’t file income taxes for several years because his software company wasn’t making enough money to pay a bookkeeper.

A judge has fined Mario Alexander Demello and the company he heads, Target 55 Investments Ltd., $9,000 for failing to file income tax returns.

“I ran out of money and I couldn’t even pay a bookkeeper to do my books,” Demello said Thursday.

“The business did nothing and I didn’t have any money to do the returns.”

Demello pleaded guilty Feb. 14 in Halifax provincial court to failing to file his personal income tax returns for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Target 55 Investments also pleaded guilty on the same date to failing to file its corporate income tax returns for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Guelph man imprisoned in underage prostitution case

The pimp, Andrija “Andy, Master of Al.” Kandic

GUELPH — Justice Cas Herold sentenced Andrija Branko Kandic Thursday to a combined 4 ½ years in prison for sex crimes that involved two underage girls.

“Mr. Kandic was a pimp,” Herold concluded, in imposing sentence in Superior Court of Justice. He added the man received 40 per cent of what his small prostitution ring charged clients, though he did precious little to earn that. “For all the dirty work, the prostitute got to keep 60 per cent.”

Kandic, a local businessman in his early 40s, was sentenced to 2 and one-half years for living off the avails of prostitution in a case involving a 15-year-old girl.

He was also sentenced to a consecutive two years in prison for a similar conviction relating to another girl, 17.

Further, Herold imposed a one-year concurrent sentence for making child pornography, a reference to explicit photographs Kandic took of the girls to post on the Internet and attract clients.

The prison term is in addition to 43 days Kandic has already spent in custody.

Herold ordered Kandic provide a DNA sample and be added to the national sex offender registry. His computer is to be seized, he is to have no contact while in custody with certain individuals connected to the ring and he is not to work with children under 16 or communicate with them online for a decade.