GOMERY WITNESS SAYS HE FEARS FOR HIS SAFETY, WENT TO POLICE

A former Liberal executive said Thursday he recently went to meet the RCMP because of an alleged threat from an associate of Alfonso Gagliano in 2001. Daniel Dezainde told the sponsorship inquiry he remains traumatized by an incident with Joe Morselli, who allegedly pointed a finger centimetres from his face and said he had declared "war" against him. "I told them (the RCMP) about my apprehensions given the testimony that I was about to give and the risks it could present to my health," said Dezainde, who has testified that party finances were "taken hostage" by Morselli. "I had already been threatened by Mr. Morselli." It was not immediately clear whether Dezainde asked the RCMP at the meeting three weeks ago to investigate Morselli. The Mounties said they might comment later Thursday.

This isn't even funny any more. UPDATE: How seriously did Dezainde take Morselli's threats at the time? Here's what he told the inquiry Wednesday:

Ensuite, j'ai commencé à élaborer ma police d'assurance. Alors, j'ai appelé Madame Patry. J'ai appelé Robert Deblois. J'ai appelé certains amis proches et c'était carrément, "Voici ce qui vient de se passer. Si il m'arrive quelque chose, je veux -- "

He updated his insurance policy. He called friends, and told them, "if anything happens to me..." Four years later, the memory of it was enough to make him break into tears. Here's a question no one's asked: Why was he so deathly afraid of Joe Morselli? Morselli looks to be in his sixties, not particularly fit, not particularly imposing. Is Dezainde, a fiftyish man who looks to be at least six feet tall, just overly sensitive? Or is there some other explanation? UPPERDATE: This is now the lead story on the CBC site, including this lovely bit of colour:

Morselli told a television reporter that he couldn't care less if Dezainde "dropped dead," but denied ever threatening the official.

Unless you count televised invocations of his untimely death, that is.