Informant sounded 'on edge' day of restaurant slayings

A confidential informant was arrested by police after investigators suspected he may have been involved in a triple homicide at the Bolsa Restaurant in southeast Calgary on New Year's Day 2009.

Det. Gavin Walker told a jury Thursday in Calgary Court of Queen's Bench that he phoned the man, who can only be identified as M.M., minutes after the shootings because he believed the informant knew Sanjeev Mann, one of the victims.

M.M. sounded "on edge" during the call, Walker testified.

M.M. is scheduled to testify for the Crown next week at the trial of Nathan Zuccherato, 24, and Michael Roberto, 27. Both men face three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Mann, 22, Aaron Bendle, 21, and Keni Su'a, 43.

Walker told the jury that he met with M.M. one week after the shootings. M.M. had just been approved as a confidential police source and Walker was set to give him $1,000 in cash at a meeting with another police detective.

Police then received information that M.M. may have been involved with the slayings. Walker testified that M.M. never received the cash. Instead, he was put under arrest.

However, M.M. was cleared of any involvement and released the next day. He continued to receive cash payments from Calgary police to cover rent, moving expenses, food and counselling.

Mann and Bendle were killed when two masked gunmen entered the restaurant and opened fire. Both men are alleged to have gang ties. A witness testified Tuesday that the shooters were dressed like "ninjas."

Su'a, a construction worker, was an innocent bystander who tried to escape but was gunned down in the parking lot.