Toronto Mayor Rob Ford declined a police offer to view the video of him smoking crack cocaine, according to new documents released to the public on Wednesday.
According to the Toronto Star, police investigators approached Ford with an offer to see the tape under the condition that he refrain from discussing it as to not interfere with their investigation of Alexander Lisi, a friend of the mayor and his occasional driver. Lisi is currently facing extortion charges.
Global reports that Detective Gary Giroux spoke to Ford's lawyer about the offer between Oct. 28 and Nov. 7.
In the past, Ford has claimed that the crack tape did not exist but police documents released in November allege that Ford tried to buy the tape.
Ford has also called on the police to release the tape.
“I want the Police Chief Bill Blair to release this video for every single person in the city to see," he said on his now-cancelled radio show on November 3rd.
The documents, released to the media on Wednesday, include details from investigators who viewed videos of Ford smoking from a glass pipe. The video itself has not been released.
The video appears to have been filmed surreptitiously showing Mayor FORD consuming what appears to be a narcotic while inside a residence.
Mayor FORD is holding what appears to glass cylinder in on hand and lighter in the other hand while engaged in conversation with individual(s) off camera. At one point I hear Mayor FORD say the name Liban.
At one point, Mayor FORD holds glass cylinder to his mouth. Lights the lighter and applies the flame to the tip of glass cylinder in a circular motion.
After several seconds Mayor FORD appears to inhale vapour the vapour which is produced, then exhale vapour.
At the end of the video, Mayor FORD's attention is drawn towards an illuminated electronic device (looks like a cellphone) which briefly passes in front of the recording device.
Mayor FORD appears to look into the recording device. He then drops the glass cylinder and lighter on a table next to him; he briefly points at the camera and asks if it's on.
Length of video: Approximately 1 minute.
Journalists Robyn Doolittle, Kevin Donovan and John Cook, who saw the tape last year, also declined to be interviewed by police, Canada.com reported.
The mayor has criticized the police investigation as a waste of money and politically motivated. The Toronto Police also transferred oversight of the investigation over to the OPP, earlier this month.
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