Mystery Widens Into Background of Murdering Afghan Family

While the media continues to be obsessed with the story of the Mohammad Shafia family honour murders, they'd be well-advised to are look into the mysterious circumstances of the family's immigration to Canada, two years ago.

The family unit presents as the unlikliest of candidates for selection as immigrant material. The family is huge, with many dependants, including seven children and an aunt (who turns out to be the first wife).

None of them speak English or French.

The father at 54 years old, has no professional or language skills and seems to possess none of the attributes of an ideal candidate. He is clearly too old to be considered as the sole breadwinner for a young family. It is reported that he claimed to be businessman who represented Sony and Panasonic back in Kabul, but the likelihood of that story being true is dubious and even if true, shouldn't have had any bearing on his eligibility for immigration.

Why? Because he obviously didn't present himself as a millionaire investor, otherwise the family wouldn't have had to live the lie of being poor. The ten of them set up home in a rather ordinary duplex in a modest Italian working class neighborhood. The home (pictured on the right) where the large family has been living is certainly not the digs of a multi-millionaire.

Since his arrival, Mr, Shafia purchased an investment property in Laval, a Montreal suburb, for $2 million, putting down $1.6 million in cash.

Impressive as that is, the property could never generate the income to pay for the contruction and maintenance of the fabulous home pictured below, that the family is erecting in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Brossard, a town just off the south shore of the island of Montreal.
The community is home to the majority of Quebec's 5, 000 strong ex-pat Afghan community. Most don't live in such a fancy neighbourhood, but there are still quite a few in the ritzy development where the home is being built.

Mr. Shafia has opened and closed other companies, but they largely appear to be fronts.


Mr. Shafia is reported to have put down $700K on this home, which the press is reporting as being worth just under a million dollars.

I doubt if those reporters talked to any real estate agents before putting a dollar estimate on the property, but they are certainly way off base.

To those who know, the house, when finished and furnished, will be worth somewhere between 2 and 4 million dollars, quite a step up from a $1200 a month rental.
The three alleged murderers won't be moving into the mansion any time soon. It's more than likely that their new residence will feature an open bathroom concept.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Mr. Shafia was living a false life.

How he conned or bought his way into this country is something that should be investigated . He wouldn't be the first to have gained entry by less than honest means.

I doubt that being an electronics distributor in a country that sells precious few electronics can generate the millions that he seems to have at his disposal and there are precious few businesses in Afghanistan that can generate that type of money.

Any guesses? Perhaps he was in the flower business?

How on earth did they get into Canada??

The Canadian public is owed an explanation beyond the murders, but as we can expect, Immigration Canada is circling the wagons, resorting to the old cheasnut- 'privacy concerns' to refuse comment.

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Weekly Anglo Quebec News July 18-25

Want to Keep up with Quebec News in just 5 minutes?
Perfect for Ex-pats or those in a rush!
Every Saturday read a short, subjective weekly review of Quebec news with a Anglophone perspective.

The Family of Earl Jones published a public apology of sorts and asked to be left alone. Mr. Jones had just pulled off the third largest investment fraud in Quebec history, wherein he defrauded his customers (mostly friends and relatives) of between $50 and $100 million dollars.

The statement, read it here, crafted by a professional damage control consultant, did little to assuage the pain of the victims. The consultant admitted that he was hired by the lawyers retained by the family, which enraged the victims even more. When asked the name of the law firm representing the Jones family, he declined to respond, nor would he say where the family or Earl were hiding.
Judging by the comments at the bottom of the article the people aren't buying the claim that the wife didn't know what was going on and there isn't much sympathy for them at all.
Later in the week a lawyer hired by the fraudster himself, claimed that Earl wasn't on the lam, just cooling his heels in an undisclosed location in Quebec, depressed and afraid for his life. Boohoo!

Montreal Hospital apologizes for unattended stillborn birth The Royal Victoria Hospital apologized for leaving a couple alone in a room to deliver her stillborn baby. The husband was obliged to clean up the mess and the considerable amount of blood produced. Nobody came to check up on them during the entire ordeal. Long live medicare!
The hospital was unconcerned until the couple went to the media. After the story was published another women came forward and said that the same happened to her, twenty-one years ago. When she complained to the hospital, she was told that two nurses were reprimanded ... and that "this would never happen again" She recalled telling the ombudsman at the time that if it came to light that someone else had to go through such a "horrific experience, I will come forward."
Later in the week, another woman confirmed a similar experience.

Hydro-Quebec, Quebec 's electricity monopoly, under billed about 120,000 clients, who are bracing themselves for a significant increase in monthly bills. The utility who made the mistake, will not consider letting customers off the hook. Some will have to pay back up to $500. Ouch!

Best run Cities in Canada, According to Macleans magazine Montreal ranks 21th out of the 30 cities surveyed. Yikes!
Quebec City came in 9th. What's Quebec's best run city?- Longueuil , (across the river from Montreal) which was rated as the fifth best run city in all of Canada! Congrats!

Funerals of Note-Famous Quebec boxing champion, Aturo Gatto's funeral in the Little Italy district was attended by over a thousand people. Gatto was murdered last week in Brazil. His wife remains a suspect and behind bars. Read about their turbulent relationship.

Léa Guilbeault's funeral was held at Ste. Therese de l'enfant Jesus church in Montreal, on Tuesday. Guilbeault was crushed to death in a horrificaly bizarre accident when a piece of concrete fell from a building on Peel Street, while she and her husband where eating sushi in a restaraunt atrium below. Creepily, she chose the table and the seat where she died.

Bizzare of the Week. Montreal police say a man who had been drinking, decided to sleep it off, choosing a random driveway, apparently failing to notice the car parked there. Next morning, the car's owner got in, started up the car and ran over the man's abdomen. He suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries. The driver suffered from shock.

CRIME & PUNISHEMENT

(Weekly review of interesting crime stories and court room antics)

Police solve Rideau canal drowning mystery. Four Afghani women were drowned in a bizarre incident in Kingston, when their bodies were found in a car at the bottom of the Rideau canal.
It was a murder! More specifically a Muslim honour killing. The mother, father and brother of the girls were arrested and charged with first degree murder. The 50 year old 'aunt' who was also drowned was revealed to be the husband's first wife! The story is on of the most sensational of the year and has generated front page news across the country.

Mother wins Bail in alleged GHB poisoning. A somewhat bizarre story out of Gatineau tells the story of a mother who is accused of posioning her baby with GHB (the date rape drug). Did she or didn't she? Is there even proof that the baby was poisioned?
This incredibly well-written article describes the situation. Read it, it's interesting.

A Wrongfully convicted man loses $2.5 million lawsuit against the government claiming wrongdoing by prosecutors and for the fact that he was abused while serving 3 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The judge disagreed on all counts and awarded him bupkis.

A Prisoner escaped detention from the Centre de détention de Québec. It wasn't exactly the 'great escape' as he was outside the prison walls cutting grass as part of a work gang. The prison's policy of having prisoners outside the walls of the prison unsupervised and without any type of surveillance is being called into question. Doh!! LINK (fr)

Fraudster gets parole. Vincent Lacroix, Quebec's very own version of Bernie Madoff was released to a halfway house, having served just a year and a half of his eight and a half year sentence. He was met by protesters and his portrait was posted around the neighborhood. His father told newspapers that he fears for his son's safety. Given the 9,000 victims and the level of hate, he have a point!

A letter to the Editor

Here's an interesting letter to the editor published in the LE DEVOIR on July 19, 2009
You can find the original French version at this LINK.

Here is my translation;

"After a family discussion, we decided never to set foot in the Place Laurier mall in Quebec City.

Reason? The insidious anglicization and bilingualism that's become more and more pronounced over the years. First because of the signage and then because of the choice of music (abominably banal, commercial and heavily if not exclusively Anglo-American, which is in itself an assault on the senses), in some shops (systematic bilingualism in the 'Lush Vancouver' shop, for example, is an incredible violation of the Frenchness of Quebec, all the while the same stores in Canada, are surprisingly English only ...
But the list would be long, from 'Future Shop' to 'Body and Beach' through 'Second Cup,' stores that stubbornly refuse to give a French name in Quebec.
But I'm not ignorant of the fact that on this last point Place Laurier doesn't really have control.

But it even goes to the 'internet sans-fils" access system which is identified as "Wi-Fi! That was too much.

For us, the use of the term "Wi-Fi" was the drop of water that made the the already too full bucket overflow!

And so we say adieu..."

Marie-Louise Lacroix

Wow!
The letter as it stands is creepy enough, but even more disturbing because it's basic premise is just plain wrong.
How does a newspaper print a letter with such a flawed arguement?

Wi-Fi is the modern term (of English origin) that refers to wireless access to internet. It's a shortened version of 'Wireless Fidelity'. The letter writer insists that the correct French term for Wi-Fi is 'internet sans-fil' but she is wrong.

"Wi-Fi" or "WiFi" has entered the popular French lexicon in France and Quebec. Googling 'Wi-Fi' or 'WiFi' coupled with the word 'FRANCE' will reveal that the term is well entrenched in that country.
I would refer the Mme. Lacroix to this web page describing the WiFi coverage offered by ORANGE the giant French wireless operator.
Here in Quebec, she can also click on the web page entitled Points d’accès Wi-Fi de Cogeco

At any rate, could you imagine boycotting a mall because of the the background music?

If Barry Manilow is playing in the elevator, does it mean the stairs?

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Kingston Police to Drop Bombshell in Drowning Case

Watch for a news conference to be held later this afternoon by Kingston police, it'll be a doosey.

They'll announce the arrest of family members in the murder of the four Montreal Afghani women who drowned when their car plunged into a canal in Kingston, Ontario last month.

Turns out that the 'aunt', Rona Amir Mohammed, who died alongside the three girls, is no aunt at all.

She is the father's first wife, who was rejected because she couldn't bear children. She continued to live with the husband and his new wife and acted as a guardian to the new wife's children. The 'old couple' never divorced.

Recently she felt her life in danger, reports a sister in Paris who sent an email to police which sent the investigation in the direction it has now taken.

Police in Montreal spent hours yesterday interviewing the Shafia family and when the police left, the family made a break for the airport. They were intercepted and arrested by police.

An honour killing seems to be the likeliest answer to this puzzle.

Montreal Police Unveil New Weapon

Montreal Police have unveiled a new tool in their never-ending quest to give out more tickets.

This stealth mobile is the latest high tech gadget. The car has a special paint job that is virtually invisible during the daytime as you can see in the top photo.

At night the lettering reacts to artificial light and the car is a bit more revealing.
The flashing lights are mounted within the car.

So now we have to be on the lookout for all white cars...

aaaaaaaarrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

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