Noel Harder, key figure in Project Forseti, called to testify in Saskatoon murder trial
Noel Harder, a key figure in the Project Forseti drug and gun sting, will be testifying in the Isho Hana murder trial.
Hana was shot and killed after being chased down Saskatoon's Preston Avenue in 2004. Three men are on trial for first degree murder in connection to the incident. 34-year-old Kennith Tingle, 33-year-old Jonathan Dombowsky and 37-year-old Long Naam Luu all face charges. Another man, Neil Yakimchuk, was found guilty of first degree murder in June.
In court this morning, it was revealed that Noel Harder had been detained for conspiracy to commit murder in the Hana case, but was never charged.
Under heavy police surveillance, including multiple police officers carrying assault rifles, Harder made a brief appearance in court this morning.
Originally, Harder was supposed to testify today. However, Tingle, Dombowsky and Luu's lawyers only found out that Harder would be testifying last month, midway through a trial that began in September. As well, defence lawyers only recently received police interview documents.
"Do I feel blindsided?" asked defense lawyer Morris Bodnar. "When the police have had information on Mr. Harder for months or years, and not disclosed it, yes, I feel blindsided."
Bodnar worries these recent revelations will seriously impact the trial. In court, he asked the trial be postponed until November or December,
"It would affect the way I would have cross-examined witnesses," he said. "Because, you will recall, I pretty well sat back and didn't do much cross examination because my client has never been implicated."
Bodnar's client, Long Naam Luu, is charged with hiring Neil Yakimchuk to kill Hana. Now, Bodnar believes that evidence may be changing.
"Now they are trying to call a witness to implicate my client, and we'd like to know why this witness is saying this, because it is our position that this is not accurate or true," he said.
Crown prosecutor Michael Segu said he was given a statement by Harder from police in January. Segu quickly passed along the information to defence lawyers.
Defence lawyers are asking that police provide unedited copies of interviews with Harder. They are also asking that police provide copies of any agreements they may have with him.
The case has been adjourned until Monday morning. While Justice Richard Danyliuk sympathized with defense attorneys in court, he worried about dragging the trial out further, and said he would like to resume hearing evidence next week.
Project Forseti
Earlier this year, a CBC Investigation revealed Noel Harder's connections to Project Forseti. The raids, conducted in January, resulted in drugs and weapons charges against ten members of the Fallen Saints motorcycle club.
Harder's two businesses, RTN Properties Ltd. and RTN Contractor Services shares its address with the Fallen Saints clubhouse, according to court documents.
At the time, social media connected to the motorcycle club called Harder "a police agent and informant." Harder and his family have since vanished from Saskatoon.
Noel Harder was not among the suspects arrested in the Project Forseti, despite officers raiding his business. But Harder’s name does appear on one court document linked to the raids.
Armand Hounjet runs a Melfort gun shop and is facing multiple firearms charges in connection with the arrests.
Hounjet is charged with illegally transferring a Winchester 30-06 rifle to Noel Harder on December 15.
This allegation dates almost one month to the day before the arrests.
Harder has not been seen or heard from since then.
