Crown fighting Ostrowski bail

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This article was published 22/11/2009 (5415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – The Crown will fight the bail release of a man who claim’s he was wrongly convicted of murder in 1987.

Crown attorney Rick Saull said this morning the bail application is premature in the review process of Frank Ostrowki’s conviction for the murder of Robert Nieman.

The bail hearing is to last two days. Court of Queen’s Bench judge Colleen Suche is hearing the case.

Winnipeg lawyer Hymie Weinstein is the first person to testify at the hearing, intended to see Ostrowski released on bail while his conviction is reviewed under federal rules.

Weinstein acted for Matthew Lovelace, the chief witness against Ostrowski.

The Free Press has previously reported Lovelace was acquitted of a cocaine possession charge at a trial where no evidence was called by the Crown, after he testfied against Ostrowski.

Ostrowski claims Lovelace was given a deal in exchange for his testimony. That deal was never disclosed to the jury at Ostrowski’s trial.

Weinstein said he only acted for Lovelace on the drug charge, that he took no part in Lovelace testifying at Ostrowski’s trial.