Ernest MacIntosh sex abuse convictions tossed due to 'bureaucratic bungling'

Justice Minister Peter MacKaylashedout at federal officials for "bungling" the sexual abuse case against NovaScotiabusinessman ErnestFenwickMacIntosh, but says he won't order a publicinquiry because all of the facts in the case are already known.

MacKay asked foran internal federal review into the handling of the case last month, saying the casehas concerned him for years.

MacIntosh's convictions for child sex crimes were reversed on appealbecause it took too long to bring him to trial, partlybecause he had to be extradited from India.Earlier this year, Canada's top court upheld a lower court ruling that threw out 17 sexual abuse convictions againstMacIntosh, who is now in his early70s,because of the delay.

Thereview lookedinto the extradition process, and issues surrounding passport and border control. It found that justice officials were responsible for the delay.

On Friday, MacKay apologized to the victims, callingthe system failurea "depressing display of bureaucratic bungling."

Timelineissues

The abuse allegations first surfaced in 1995 whenMacIntoshwasworking as a consultant in India.

RCMP received complaints from two men who said MacIntosh abused them back in the 1970s when they were boys growing up in Nova Scotia.

MacIntosh wasn't extradited to Canada until 2007 and his first trial didn't begin until 2010.

At the time,MacIntosh was convicted on 13 counts of gross indecency and indecent assault, and sentenced to four years in prison. In a second trial, he was convicted on another four counts and sentenced to another 18 months in jail.

Attheendofthedaynothinghaschangedand MacIntoshis still a free man.- Complainant

But MacIntosh's lawyers successfully appealed all the convictions, telling the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal that the delays violated his charter rights to be tried within a reasonable time.

MacIntosh's passport was renewed in 1997 and in 2002, despite the fact he faced outstanding charges and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Passport Canada said in July that it has revised its policies as a result of the case.The federal review found that "border systems at the time were not adequate for catching this individual."

The report concluded that a number of measures have been implementedto prevent a repeat case.

Victims unimpressed

The complainants in the case have been calling for a public inquiry. MacIntoshhas also pushed for a review. He still denies the allegations and says he wants his name cleared.

Dale Sutherland was one of the first people to come forward with allegations. Sutherland, who asked that his name be used, said the review doesn't delve into all the issues.

'Im sorry? Thats not enough. People have to be held accountable. MacIntosh wasnt held accountable, right?So if you dont want to hold MacIntosh accountable for raping me as a kid and raping the others, then youre going to take responsibility for it," he said.

Sutherland said he'll keep pushing for a federal review.

"I'm not accepting an apology."

Another one of the complainants in the case, who can only be identified as BM, said the review doesn't hold much weight.

An apology from the federal government is fine and thisreview is fine, but at the end of the day nothing has changed and MacIntosh is still a free man.