Inderjit Singh Reyat sentenced for perjury in Air India trial

Inderjit Singh Reyat sentenced for perjury in Air India trial
Sentenced to nine years; will serve seven and a half
Dave White Jan 07, 2011 10:25:27 AM
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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) -The only man ever convicted in the Air India bombing disaster has been sentenced for perjury.

Reyat has been given nine years minus 17 months of time served. That means he will spend about seven and a half years behind bars.

He was found guilty of lying numerous times during the 2005 trial, where two men were acquitted in the attacks that killed 331 people. Justice Mark McEwen says any remorse Reyat tried to show during trial rang hollow.

Outside BC Supreme Court, family members of some of the victims of the 1985 Air India Bombing expressed their relief. Perviz Madon broke down in tears, grieving the loss of a loved one. "I hope that he suffers the pain that we've suffered."

Her son Eddie Madon is pleased with the sentence. "Nine years is more than double anyone's served for perjury. I think that sends a very strong message out there that if you continue to minimize your role for selfish purposes to the detriment of all those victims out there and the general public, you're going to have to pay the price for that."

Reyat has already spent five years in jail for manslaughter for his role as a bomb-maker and 10 years for the deaths of two baggage handlers in Tokyo.

Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass, who is the outgoing head of the RCMP's E-Division, says things could have been different at the Air India trial if wasn't for Reyat's testimony. He believes there would have been convictions.

Bass also blasted a lawyer who worked on the case, though he wouldn't name him, for advising people not to come forward with information during the trial, "where a person wants to cooperate with police but is told by counsel that they shouldn't for reasons that are primarily beneficial to the lawyer."

Bass says the case is not closed, and he called the sentence "reasonable."