http://www.ottawacitizen.com/national/990520/2621916.html Friday May 21, 1999 FROM THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Share This Story With A Friend Tainted-blood sleuth firebombed Intimidation campaign suspected as Arkansas clinic razed, Montreal office ransacked Mark Kennedy The Ottawa Citizen The controversial story involving tainted plasma from Arkansas prisoners that was shipped to Canada in the 1980s while Bill Clinton was state governor has taken a mysterious and chilling new turn. Two crimes that occurred within hours of each other Tuesday night, hundreds of kilometres apart, have raised questions about whether someone is trying to intimidate or silence those who are asking questions about the prison-blood fiasco. In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, someone firebombed a prosthetics clinic owned by Michael Galster, who has been pushing hard for a U.S. government investigation. The clinic was burned to its shell and fire officials, who found a gas container in Mr. Galster's attic -- where he kept his documents -- say they're "90-per-cent sure" the fire was arson. In Montreal, someone broke into the offices of the Quebec chapter of the Canadian Hemophilia Society, which recently unearthed documents that showed Finance Minister Paul Martin was a board member of the corporation that owned Connaught Laboratories, the company that fractionated and distributed the Arkansas prison plasma in Canada. Hemophilia Society officials say thieves stole a computer and three telephones. They also stole documents from a box labeled "Hepatitis C, Krever Commission, Reform of the blood system, HIV-AIDS." Police are investigating both incidents. Mike McCarthy, a Canadian hemophiliac at the forefront of pushing for answers into the prison plasma scandal, says he's convinced the two crimes are connected. "It's too much of a coincidence," he said, adding that someone is worried Mr. Galster and the victims are probing too close to the truth. "They're trying to find out what we know and erase the trail if they can." "I think they're also sending a message. They're trying to scare us into backing off. They're trying to put the fear of God into us, that if we pursue the truth it can get worse. That the next action might not just be buildings and records." The RCMP are examining the prison-blood scheme as part of their criminal investigation into the tainted-blood scandal. RCMP Cpl. Gilles Moreau said yesterday that the Mounties are willing to review any evidence local police in Montreal and Arkansas uncover. "We do not work in a vacuum," said Cpl. Moreau. "If there's information that is linked to the blood distribution system for the period that we're investigating, we're certainly not going to close our eyes to that information. We welcome any information that comes our way." The story of how prison plasma was collected and found its way into the bloodstreams of unsuspecting Canadians stands as one of the most shocking aspects of the tainted-blood tragedy. It's not known how many Canadians contracted HIV and hepatitis C from the plasma of Arkansas prisoners, who were paid $7 a unit, although it's likely that several hundred people were infected by the tainted products. At the time, U.S. companies that fractionate blood products had stopped buying prison blood because it was widely understood that, since many inmates practised unsafe sex or were intravenous drug addicts, their blood posed a high risk of carrying the AIDS virus. In Arkansas, a private firm, Health Management Associates, was given a contract by the state government to collect the prisoners' plasma. The firm had difficulty locating a U.S. customer but found a willing buyer in a Montreal blood broker, Continental Pharma Cryosan, which then sold the plasma to Toronto-based Connaught Laboratories. Connaught apparently didn't realize the plasma had come from prisoners. Canadians learned of the prison plasma scheme in 1995, when Justice Horace Krever's inquiry unearthed some aspects of the story. Last September, the Citizen revealed further details. Also last fall, Mr. Galster went public with his accusations about the Arkansas prison system, where he conducted orthopedic clinics during the 1980s. Mr. Galster published a book, Blood Trail, which is a fictionalized account of how the prison-plasma program worked. He wrote under a pseudonym because he feared reprisals. Soon after media stories began appearing, he revealed his true identity. In February, he organized and participated in a news conference in Washington where Canadian victims called for a probe by the U.S. Justice Department and announced plans to depose Mr. Clinton. Mr. Galster said yesterday he is reeling with shock from the firebombing of his clinic, which he has owned for 21 years. He said he worked until about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and was later called at home about the fire. "I'm trying not to get too paranoid about it. I pray to God that it was just a coincidence." Mr. Galster said that if someone is trying to silence him, it won't work. "They're barking up the wrong tree. They can't erase the victims who are seeking the truth." Pine Bluff's fire marshal, Capt. Randy Rushing, said the state crime lab has been called in to help with the arson investigation. Capt. Rushing said fire officials have a "couple of leads," but have no evidence on a motive. In Montreal, hemophilia society officials are puzzled. In recent days, the group learned that Mr. Martin was a director of the Canada Development Corporation (CDC) from 1981 to 1986 -- the key years of the tainted blood scandal. The CDC was created with federal seed money to promote the country's leading industries and owned a variety of firms, including Connaught. The Citizen published details of the story on Saturday, and indicated that Mr. Martin has no recollection of any discussions about tainted blood while a CDC board member. The article stated that Mr. Martin's connection to the CDC had been "unearthed" by the hemophilia society. Just three days later, the break-in occurred. Thieves entered the office of executive director Pierre Desmarais and were selective in what they took. Mr. Desmarais said that because the thieves stole documents -- not just computer equipment -- it appears they were looking for information, not goods. "It's really frightening. This is the kind of thing you see in movies." ============ http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19990521_xex_blood_trail_.shtml FRIDAY MAY 21 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 'Blood Trail' author's clinic burns Investigation for possible arson under way ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Stephan Archer � 1999 WorldNetDaily.com State Police arson dogs are sniffing through the debris of what was once the upstairs of "Blood Trail" author Michael Galster's two-story clinic before a fire destroyed a portion of the structure causing an estimated $200,000 in damages. A fire system at Galster's Orthopedic Laboratories Inc. sounded the Pine Bluff Fire Department alarm a little after midnight Wednesday morning calling three pumper trucks and two aerial trucks to the blaze within minutes. The last of the smoldering cinders were put out about six and a half hours after firefighters first arrived. Randy Rushing, fire marshal for the Pine Bluff Fire Department, told WorldNetDaily that an investigation was under way for possible arson. He said that the fire department got suspicious of foul play when burn patterns were noticed that are often indicative of arson. If the investigation confirms the firefighters' suspicions of arson, the Pine Bluff Police Department will take over the investigation. Estimated structural damage is $100,000 and estimated equipment damage is also $100,000. Michael Galster is best known for his 1998 novel "Blood Trail," which tells the story of an Arkansas governor who, in the early 1980s, awarded a contract to a health care provider enabling the provider to see to the needs of the state's prisoners. As part of the deal that was made between the health care provider and the state, blood was allowed to be collected from the prisoners and sold. Although a U.S. buyer couldn't be found due to the growing AIDS epidemic, a willing buyer was found in Canada. After it was later revealed in Canada that the blood may have been contaminated with the AIDS virus and hepatitis, sales of the blood stopped in 1983. Besides pointing out that the state governor was the one overseeing the program, the novel also pointed out that the governor later became a U.S. president. Although the book was a fictional account, it mirrored actual occurrences that took place in the Arkansas state prisons during then-Gov. Bill Clinton's rule. Galster had first hand knowledge of the events taking place within the prisons due to the fact that he conducted orthopedic clinics within the state prison system during that time. Although Galster wrote his fictionalized account under a pen name -- Michael Sullivan -- out of fear of Clinton's administration, he later went public with his story. It is uncertain whether or not the fire was a retaliatory action against the book or whether the fire was even caused by arson, but Galster's mother said that her son is fervently trying to pick up the damaged pieces of his business as quickly as possible so that his business can continue. WorldNetDaily repeatedly attempted to reach Galster for comments, but he was unavailable. =====================
