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TUCSON: 9-29-05 City of Tucson officials have refused to discuss with Frank Konarski or his attorney the possible resolution of a long running dispute. Instead, officials continue their well-documented persecution in an effort to ruin the Konarski family business. The long-running dispute began in 1997, over $20,000 in medical bills Konarski incurred because of a illegal arrest and beating by Tucson police. Both a Tucson Magistrate and Superior Court ruled the officer had no probable cause for the arrest. Even though there is no question that the City of Tucson is responsible, Konarski has never been reimbursed for his fully documented medical expenses. Officials hove offered only a part payment, $15,000, which Konarski has refused. Tucson city officials, apparently offended and incensed by this refusal and that Konarski proved, in court, that the arrest was illegal, sought retribution by attacking Konarski financially. Housing officials moved to terminate his contract to build and manage “Section 8 Federally funded Low-Cost Housing” in Tucson. So infuriated were top officials that, in an e-mail from the Housing Administrator to an Assistant City Attorney, the official said, referring to Konarski’s “win” in the wrongful arrest incident, “…we dare not let [Konarski] gain more confidence/arrogance in the legal arena…” The City Attorney replied, agreeing to assist in finding a way to “… [remove] Konarski from consideration [for continuation of the contract].” Five City of Tucson employees have come forward to document the City’s systematic campaign to attack Konarski and “run him out of business.” These employees were witnesses to, or were ordered to implement, City Officials’ attack on Konarski through the courts and by other malevolent harassment. This once even took the form a “scream-fest” by city employees, who, parked in a truck emblazoned with the Tucson City emblem, outside Konarski’s home yelled, “Come out, you a---hole!” One of the five witnesses who was in the truck at the time, chagrined at the amplitude and duplicity of the attack against Konarski, has since come forth in support of Konarski to document the city’s tirade against him. Konarski also has video tape of the incident.
One witness cites his superior’s orders: “You have to write up things, contort, twist…Oh, we’ve got them [Konarski’s]…..Whatever it takes, fine them…Whatever it takes to do it [put Konarski out of business].” Another of the “whistle blowers,” was forced to pursue frivolous and/or false charges in court, erroneously accusing Konarski of illegal conduct in the management of the apartments. Currently, he has been charged with, and convicted of, “Trespassing” in one of his own, vacated, apartments. He is due to be sentenced, with a significant fine, in early October of this crime he did not commit. The Konarski’s are long-time, highly respected, Tucson residents. Konarski has literally hundreds of letters from tenants, the governor of Arizona and even the former mayor of Tucson attesting to the fact that his housing units were exemplary, well run, clean and of great benefit to the community. Konarski has been highly praised for his many other community service activities. On May 31, 2005, Konarski’s attorney, Mark F. Willimann, confronted the Tucson mayor in a detailed letter outlining the problem with a time-line and asked for a meeting to resolve the open issues, outside of court. No representative from the City of Tucson has responded. Justice On Trial, a non-profit advocacy organization, has agreed to assist the Konarski family in exposing this unwarranted, ruinous, attack by government officials on an innocent citizen Information: Info@JusticeOnTrial.org or 530-268-9277 |