"When these guys (Ontario Hydro Management) realize that their jobs are in danger, they tend to become irrational."

STAGE 6. Power Workers Union Helps

Unfortunately, most of Management got their feet muddied early on, but never decided to bend on this case.

Maurice Strong was briefly Director of Research (as well as Chairman - an unusual arrangement, to say the least) during the Internal Audit investigation. It would not look good for a major international mover to have a criminal fraud case occur directly under your jurisdiction.

Al Kupcis, who had started in Ontario Hydro Research, was known to be a close friend of Jim Brown’s (the alleged crook). Also, there were other rumors of his involvement.

Larry Leonoff had committed himself in the Internal Audit investigation.

In retrospect, as things turned out, it would have been better to go for a "criminal fraud case" strategy, but how can one tell beforehand? I did what seemed logical at the time!

* * *

WOULD THE CASE HAVE "SUCCEEDED" IF I HAD APPROACHED THE FRAUD SQUAD OR GLOBE & MAIL EARLIER?

Who knows? The potential fall-out was always huge, and the Fraud Squad or Globe & Mail could have declined at any time. Both my deceased spouse and my lawyer were adamant that the case would not succeed without a legal case, but I was in favor of a "discrete" solution due to the mega-billion dollar potential damages. And I still am, but it isn’t going to happen, despite my best efforts.