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Judge Finds Cisco, US Authorities Deceived Canadian Courts

Posted by timothy on from the cisco-kids dept.

djmurdoch writes "The Vancouver Sun reports that 'The giant computer company Cisco and US prosecutors deceived Canadian authorities and courts in a massive abuse of process to have a former executive thrown in jail, says a B.C. Supreme Court judge.' Peter Adelkeye was arrested last year as he was testifying in a special hearing in Vancouver. It turns out he was there because US authorities would not grant him permission to enter the US to testify in a civil case between him and Cisco. The Canadian judge said that almost nothing in the US Attorney's letter was true, and has overturned his extradition order. Slashdot discussed this case in April."

24 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Soon to be jailed by alphatel · · Score: 4, Funny

    En route to Switzerland, Adelkeye was caught molesting a hotel maid and was turned in by several Good Samaritans.
    "He just looked suspicious," commented a white man with shoe polish on his face. "Yeah, we saw him do it. Molesting that horse. I mean maid," quipped a gentleman with large glasses, puffy eyebrows and elongated nose.

    Adelkeye is expected to please guilty and spend life in prison. Barack Obama, who received a personal plea from Peter last year, stated that "those Canadians and their judges need to be held accountable for Adelkeye's release."

    --
    When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
    1. Re:Soon to be jailed by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It is conspiratorial. It projects a similar fate as Jullian Assange or Dominique Strauss-Kahn encountered, which some believe to be lies perpetrated by those in the government. This story doesn't make the government sound like they're above such things.

    2. Re:Soon to be jailed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      That is one of the dumbest comments I have ever seen on /., when governments and corporations consistently obfuscate, spin, propagandize and outright lie it is not a, "weak feeble mind" that doesn't trust the liars. For example you cherry pick the most ridiculous sounding theories and try to paint everyone with the same brush, that is part of the propaganda ploy to silence all who don't buy the "party line".

      The reality is that intelligent people question the facts when they don't add up and learn from experience. When dealing with pathological liars we tend not to trust the things they say. Based on past performance such as Operation Mockingbird, COINTELPRO and so on the government of the US engages in premeditated propaganda techniques to control it's own citizens. Maybe before getting all sanctimonious you should avail yourself of the government commission findings that are freely available. There is also quite a bit of evidence recently of the government conspiring with corporations to help the corporations, even at the expense of the people. It has become so commonplace that they do not even bother to hide it most of the time nowadays. In this instance we have the finding of a court of law that the US DOJ conspired with a corporation, in violation of the normal standards of law in the western world, to silence opposition to shady or outright illegal practices that the company was indulging in for profit. So it takes a really weak mind to blame "conspiracy theorists" when the evidence in sitting there in your face.

    3. Re:Soon to be jailed by HungryHobo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      occams razor doesn't exlude simple conspiracies.
      which is all most have to be.

      a handful of powerful friends can fuck a lot of people over with very simple conspiracies like the one in the OP.

      They can be as simple as
      "we don't want him to give evidence? You write an official letter accusing him of something, I'll have an aide make up some bullshit rumors and spread those around and we'll try to make sure the court case is over before he's sorted out the mess"

      or even "fuck the law, make up some charge that's hard to defend yourself against then arrest him and throw him in jail"

      But those kinds of stories are boring.
      massive conspiracies are hard to hold together but a few golf buddies can do fine.

      Conspiracy nuts assume that the world trade centre was some kind of inside job with stupidly complex motives.
      In reality there's no need for that when the same ends can be achieved by a far simpler method of politicians simply taking advantage of the situation after the fact to push through whatever horrific measures they've always wanted.

      the problem isn't a deficit of trust.
      Hell more problems are caused by trusting fools who believe campaign promises and press releases.

  2. Re:Boycott Cisco! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or switch to Linksys

  3. RCMP - Royal Canadian Monopoly Police by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Our top cops are always eager to serve big corp, especially if they're Uncle Sam's big corp.

    1. Re:RCMP - Royal Canadian Monopoly Police by BForrester · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's simply not the case.

      http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/05/unhappy-mounties-sick-of-being-private-copyright-cops.ars

  4. Seriously, though by Ritchie70 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When will the American populace finally tire of the country being for the corporations, of the corporations, and by the corporations and take it for the people instead?

    I think I'm going to go try to find a non crazy group that's working on this. Are there any?

    Or should i just join the ACLU and hope for the best?

    --
    The preferred solution is to not have a problem.
    1. Re:Seriously, though by dkleinsc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The ACLU isn't remotely crazy. They are focused on the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth amendments rather than the Second or Tenth, to be sure, and they take the absolute position on what "Congress shall make no law" is. That doesn't make them crazy. However, those who would like to get rid of those freedoms frequently portray them as crazy because they're a roadblock to their cause. For anyone who believes they're crazy, please present evidence of it, and I mean that absolutely seriously.

      As far as government by, for, and of the corporations, that's been going on for at least 150 years now, and there's no reason to think it would stop anytime soon. If you want some idea of the history, I highly recommend A People's History of the United States.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    2. Re:Seriously, though by Svartalf · · Score: 3, Informative

      My "chief aversion" is the system of greed, private profit, privilege, and violence which makes up the control of the world today, and which has brought it the tragic crisis of unprecedented hunger and unemployment. I am opposed to the new deal [sic] because it strives to strengthen and prolong production for private profit. At bottom I am for conserving the full powers of every person on earth by expanding them to their individual limits. Therefore, I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the State itself as an instrument of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal. It sums up into one single purpose -- the abolition of the system dog-eat-dog under which we live, and the substitution by the most effective non-violence possible of a system of cooperative ownership and use of all wealth.

      - Roger Nash Baldwin, founder of the ACLU.

      Do you HONESTLY believe that they're really on about the things you think they are?

      --
      I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
    3. Re:Seriously, though by Jaysyn · · Score: 3, Informative

      The only problem with the ACLU is that they not only do not focus on the second amendment, they officially do not consider it to be a civil liberty.

      It would be fine if they focused only on their specific issues, as there are other organizations dedicated to defending the second, but to deny that infringement on the second amendment is not a violation of civil liberties is wrong.

      I don't see it as a huge deal considering the NRA & CCRKBA both dwarf the ACLU in membership.

      NRA = 4.3 million members
      CCRKBA = 650000 members

      ACLU = 500000 members

      *using the numbers from each groups website.

      Yeah it would be nice if the ACLU was for liberty across the board, but the way I figure it the more groups we have working towards these goals in total, the better off we are.

      --
      There is a war going on for your mind.
    4. Re:Seriously, though by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, I'm totally fine with an organization that started with that kind of talk, for a lot of reasons:
      1. I recognize that capitalist economics can and is used as a tool of oppression. I'm not as radical as Baldwin - I'm ok with a democratically elected government and the use of increase of wealth as a motivator for people to work. But like him, I'm not willing to allow pure capitalism to create a situation where workers are choosing between working at whatever rich people will pay, and dying of starvation, disease, or exposure to the elements.

      2. He sees the US government as a tool of the megacorps of his day. He was generally right - this was at a time when people talking about forming trade unions were routinely attacked by police or arrested for saying that things would be much better if workers got together and demanded a 40 hour work week, safer working conditions, and enough pay to be able to feed their families.

      3. Baldwin was talking in those terms when communists' primary goals were combating fascism in Europe and developing trade unions here in the US. He later revised his views on communism, notably in a 1953 article entitled "A new slavery; forced labor: the communist betrayal of human rights." which was largely about how Stalin in particular had undermined and betrayed everything communism was supposed to stand for.

      4. Organizations change over time. To say the modern-day ACLU is mostly about Baldwin's socialism makes about as much sense as saying that the modern-day IBM is mostly about selling equipment to classify prisoners to the Nazis.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  5. I love my country by cpu6502 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    but hate my government. "If it were possible, we would have no government. It is only for the protection of our rights that we resort to government at all." - Jefferson. Nowadays it seems the government is more interested in protecting the Non-human Corporations rather than the People.

    Perhaps it is time to call a Constitutional Convention and revert to the Articles of Confederation again - a Union of States, rather than an out-of-control central authority that acts as if it has unbounded power.

    --
    My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
    1. Re:I love my country by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Returning power to the people usually happens just before an emperor is created. Historically I mean. Caveat emptor.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:I love my country by iserlohn · · Score: 3, Informative

      Oh please! The abuse of power by local government is as much as, or even more astounding. You just don't see this because most of it is isn't big enough to make the evening news nationwide.

      The real solution is to make corporations accountable when they screw the little guys - it's got nothing to do with where government is.

      --
      :. Ultimate Control Dedicated/VM Servers
  6. Re:Anti-trust suit by wombatmobile · · Score: 4, Informative

    From previous articles:

    Cisco Systems orchestrated the arrest of Multiven founder Peter Alfred-Adekeye last year in order to force a settlement of Multiven's antitrust lawsuit against Cisco.

    Multiven, sued Cisco in December 2008, accusing the company of monopolizing the business of servicing and maintaining Cisco enterprise equipment. Cisco forced owners of gear such as routers, switches and firewalls to buy its SMARTnet service contracts in order to get regular software updates and bug fixes, Multiven said. By providing updates and bug fixes only to SMARTnet customers and not to third parties, Cisco prevented independent companies from servicing its equipment, Multiven alleged.

    The SMARTnet service is a hot-button issue with some customers, who feel that Cisco should provide basic bug fixes and software updates free of charge as Microsoft or Apple do.

  7. how much was actually done by the US gov't? by yincrash · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In the article, it's extremely hard to parse whether the US attorney in question is Cisco's US based attorney or a US gov't attorney. Who am I supposed to be mad at?

    1. Re:how much was actually done by the US gov't? by Rich0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would imagine that an extradition request for a criminal complaint would have to come from the US Justice Department, perhaps even routed through the State Department. Random individuals can't ask governments to arrest people and ship them overseas. Random individuals can file suit in the other country and then that country can take steps as needed to keep the person there if warranted. In many countries however this would be inconvenient to a multinational - since they would be subject to loser-pays, security of costs, and all kinds of other things that they don't have to deal with in the US. And, of course, they have to convince the other country that they have jurisdiction.

    2. Re:how much was actually done by the US gov't? by Effexor · · Score: 4, Informative

      Let me help you.

      'U.S. prosecutors acted outrageously'...
      'The U.S. claimed'...
      'U.S. prosecutors falsely portrayed'...
      'left the U.S. in 2008 and was denied re-entry when he attempted to return to participate in the litigation'

      So yes, I guess they really were Cisco's attorneys.

      --

      As the air to a bird or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible -W.B.

  8. Take five minutes by wonkavader · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It'll only take you five minutes. Get the email address for the other big ISP you don't use. (In Chicago, for example, if you use Comcast, email AT&T, if you use AT&T, email Comcast.) Tell them the reason you don't use them is that they use Cisco gear and that you don't support the supporters of corporate malfeasance. Tell them to email you when they've eliminated Cisco gear from their network.

    You can protest to Cisco to change their ways all you like, and they won't give a crap. But if AT&T tells them to clean up their act, or QWEST, or Comcast or COX, etc, they'll listen.

  9. Oh no... by vvaduva · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ..a multinational corporation lied and the US government lied to protect it! What a huge surprise!

  10. Different expectations of Govt by redelm · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No surprise at the ruling -- why _wouldn't_ Cisco have a US govt Attorney in its' pocket? Why would a Fed respect the some foreign court any more than a US State court?

    Having lived for multiple adult decades on both sides of the Canada-US border, I can say they might look alike and speak close to the same language, but the two nations are really very different:

    The US is run by elected officals who are basically empowered uniquely by their election and feel they can do whatever they want, with highly variable respect for the US Constitution (some think it should be pushed, a few are very strict).

    Canada is an elected dictatorship, basically devoid of checks and balances, with legislatures totally dependant on the executive, and highly subordinate courts. But they don't run the country, the civil service does and they are loyal to The Crown, not
    elected office-holders. There, something to offend everyone.

    Of course there's lots of cross-over -- mostly by Canada picking up US institutions, like the Charter of Rights & Freedoms, and a Supreme Court that sometimes enforces it, "notwithstanding". The US Civil Service has also grown tremendously, and it rather tired of all the switching political appointees, so becomes more rule-bound and apolitical, where the armed services have led.

    1. Re:Different expectations of Govt by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Informative

      Enjoy that border while it lasts http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Canada+perimeter+security+agreement+crucial+diplomats/4886235/story.html
      Soon it will be a security "perimeter" around Canada.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  11. I saw this one a mile away by erroneus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2094166&cid=35892994
    Did Cisco "fabricate evidence"? In other words, did they make claims that were later repeated by the US government's law enforcement people?

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2094166&cid=35893892
    And at the time of the article, the evidence hadn't even been presented to Canadian officials.

    And now, when claims were finally presented, they turned out to not have any merit. I am not surprised that they could not produce the evidence they claimed to have had. This is more of the same "government interference at the request of business" that we have been seeing a LOT of lately. Most of the time it has been the oil, GM foods, pharmaceutical and entertainment industries that pushed government into interfering with governments and affairs of other nations. Now it's Cisco... next, I suspect, it will be Microsoft. (After all, the EU is not quite done with Microsoft's legal cases...)

    Canada now had additional reason not to trust in and support the US government or the US companies that influence Canadian law. I hope Canada and other countries wake up to this and stop bowing to US demands the way they have.