Susan Thompson
South Peace News
A charge of possession of stolen property against a Nampa man was withdrawn during his latest appearance in Peace River provincial court Oct. 28.
It is far from the end of legal troubles for Mukhtar Ali, who was arrested at gunpoint by Peace Regional RCMP on the Peace River bridge on Aug. 26.
Among the charges Ali still faces are fraud, unauthorized possession of firearms, breach of conditions, resisting arrest, assault of a police officer, impaired driving and possession of a prohibited substance for the purpose of trafficking.
Ali returns to court Nov. 18.
Ali’s bail was denied at a hearing in Falher on Sept. 5. Judge G.R. Ambrose ruled that because Ali was forbidden from being in possession of either firearms or edged weapons since 2013, and weapons were found in the trunk of his yellow Mustang when he was arrested, he was in clear violation of his release conditions.
Ali is also facing charges linked to an armed robbery at the Big Country Inn liquor store in Nampa on July 13.
Police were suspicious that Ali might have helped the two armed robbers, since the victim stated they only entered after they opened the door to Ali so he could purchase off sale liquor and the robbers allegedly ignored Ali’s presence during the robbery. Police said they searched Ali’s vehicle days later and found stolen VISA receipts in his glove compartment they thought were connected to the robbery.
However, at his bail hearing Ali denied all connection to the robbery, and on Oct. 28 one count of possession of stolen VISA receipts was withdrawn.
Ali has already changed his legal counsel a couple of times.