Former Mountie faces 2 more charges in alleged drug evidence theft

Charges have been dropped against a Halifax police officer accused oftheft from a drug evidence locker, and additionalcharges have been laid against a former RCMP staff sergeant who was also charged with theft from an evidence locker in an unrelated case.

Former RCMP Staff Sgt. Craig Robert Burnett already facesa number of charges includingtheft of cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, breach of trust and laundering proceeds of crime.

He is alleged to have stolen10 kilograms of cocaine from an evidence locker at the formerRCMP headquarters in north-end Halifax in 2011. Investigators allegeBurnett gave the drugs to someone else who sold it and split the proceeds with the Mountie.

On Friday,two new charges were added byNova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team.

"Is now alleged that Mr. Burnett took steps that obstructed one of the police officers in his duty and took other steps to encourage an individual to give false information during the investigation," SiRTdirector Ron MacDonald said in a news release.

Crown ran out of time

Also on Friday, the police watchdog closed its fileagainst Halifax Regional Police Const. Gary Basso in another missing evidence caseafter the Crown withdrew three charges.

Basso was charged a year ago with theft, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. He wasaccused of stealing a substance, known as cut,used to dilute drugs from an evidence locker at police headquarters on Gottingen Street. The substance is added to drugs to increase the quantity and therefore, profitability.

The Crown stayed the charges against Bassolast spring. Then last week, it decided that due todelays in prosecution, the charges would not be reinstated.

The Crown has been under intense deadline pressure since the Supreme Court of Canada imposed limits on how long cases can take to make it through the courts.

Basso's case is the latest case to be abandonedbecause it could not be completed under the new time restrictions.

The officer remains suspended without pay. An internal Police Act investigation is ongoing.