The Legislature Raids

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Cops spy on Collins' dinner with rail execs
Document

Andy Ivens, The Province
February 27, 2007

The B.C. finance minister had a secret meeting in a restaurant with a pair of executives from a U.S. rail firm after letting his aides know the company would receive a contract for the Roberts Bank rail line as consolation for losing out to CN Rail in the bidding for B.C. Rail.

That information -- along with explosive allegations of Liberal insiders' close family connections to police investigators -- is contained in a document filed in B.C. Supreme Court late yesterday in the case against three men charged with fraud and breach of trust in the B.C. Rail sale.

The notice of application for disclosure collectively filed by the three men's lawyers casts light on a murky meeting between Gary Collins -- minister of finance and government house leader at the time -- and OmniTRAX executives Pat Broe and Dwight Johnson on Dec. 12, 2003, at Villa Del Lupo restaurant in Vancouver. They didn't dine alone. After learning that Collins was going to meet with them at the upscale restaurant, police set up surveillance, said the court document. {snip}

As the investigation progressed, it became clear the police and the Liberals were not at arm's length.

Sgt. Debruyckere was the team leader of the investigation into whether any offences were committed in relation to B.C. Rail.

"At the time of Sgt. Debruyckere's appointment as team leader of this investigation, he was the brother-in-law of then-executive director of the B.C. Provincial Liberal Party [Mr.] Kelly Reichert," says the document.

It also points out a suspicious leak about OmniTRAX lobbyist Erik Bornmann providing police with information about Basi and Virk.

". . . In 2004, it became clear that there was a leak of information regarding Mr. Bornmann and the fact of him providing information about Messrs. Basi and Virk to the RCMP. Specifically, the leaked information pertained to Mr. Reichert knowing that Mr. Bornmann had been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for the provision of information against Messrs. Basi and Virk," says the document.

Not only did they tap the conversation of Basi, who was a target of their investigation, they also intercepted Collins and Premier Gordon Campbell chatting about government business, the document discloses. The defence is seeking to have the case thrown out, because of the RCMP's conduct.

aivens@png.canwest.com
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