This February 3, 1993 London Free Press coverage of the Human Rights Commission's hearing of the complaint filed against Elieff was the last coverage given to the complaint by the newspaper, despite the fact that the hearings continued for the two days following and that the paper had given prominent coverage to each of the previous five days' hearings.
What this article doesn't say is that the London Free Press was unable to produce its alleged tape recording of Elieff's original
"pigs" comments (which started the whole affair), and that the evidence and testimony being presented at the hearing weighed heavily against Susan Eagle's and the London Free Press' direct involvement in the organized "smear" campaign directed against
Elieff. Since this news coverage and as of this writing, the paper has never again repeated Elieff's "little pigs" comment.
By HANK DANISZEWSKI
The London Free Press
The Freedom party of Ontario jumped to the defence of London landlord Elijah Elieff Tuesday.
An Ontario Human Rights Commission board of inquiry resumed hearings into charges Elieff discriminated against his Asian tenants at 95 and 105 Cheyenne Ave., but the hearings quickly bogged down in a series of procedural arguments and accusations that evidence was being leaked outside the hearing room.
Until now, Elieff has presented his own case, but Freedom party leader Robert Metz became Elieff's official spokesperson Tuesday to argue that Elieff was the target of an organized smear campaign.
Two members of the Freedom party were called to the stand to deny accusations that they were sneaking out of the meeting room to tell Elieff about testimony from which he was excluded.
SUPPORTIVE: The board heard testimony from tenant Mary Mowat, despite objections from commission counsel Geri Sanson, who argued that Elieff had exhausted his list of witnesses. Mowat, who has lived in 95 Cheyenne Ave. since 1985, supported earlier testimony Elieff did his best to clean up the property, repair vandalism and welcome his Asian tenants.
"Elijah really extended himself to understand these people," she said.
But under cross-examination, Mowat said she told Eagle to "go to the devil" because she was upset by her efforts to organize the tenants.
She also admitted to distributing a note to tenants in December, urging them not to pay their rents into a fund to cover utility bills Elieff has not paid.
The hearings are scheduled to continue today.
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last updated on April 28, 2002
