Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Collins investigated, corruption trial told
.
Minister investigated, corruption trial told
NEAL HALL , Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Former finance minister Gary Collins was under investigation by police before a raid of the legislature in December 2003, a defence lawyer suggested today at the opening day of the criminal trial involving two former government aides.
Lawyer Kevin McCullough, the lawyer representing the accused Bob Virk, suggested then-finance minister Gary Collins was under investigation before Dec. 28, 2003, when the RCMP executed search warrants on the legislative offices of Virk and Dave Basi.
At the time, Basi was the ministerial assistant to the minister of finance and Virk was the assistant to then-transportation minister Judith Reid.
After the search warrants were executed, police made it clear that no politicians were under investigation for any criminal wrongdoing.
Basi and Virk are accused of corruption, accepting benefits and breach of trust for their roles in the government's privatization sale of BC Rail operations, which were sold in November 2003 for $1 billion to Canadian National Railways.
Basi's cousin, Aneal Basi, is also on trial for money laundering for allegedly receiving cheques from a government lobbyist representing OmniTRAX, one of the bidders for BC Rail, and transferring the money to Dave Basi. {snip}
Full story at:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=9bfb85d4-b76a-456c-be55-d40a2673831a&k=53034
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Minister investigated, corruption trial told
NEAL HALL , Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Former finance minister Gary Collins was under investigation by police before a raid of the legislature in December 2003, a defence lawyer suggested today at the opening day of the criminal trial involving two former government aides.
Lawyer Kevin McCullough, the lawyer representing the accused Bob Virk, suggested then-finance minister Gary Collins was under investigation before Dec. 28, 2003, when the RCMP executed search warrants on the legislative offices of Virk and Dave Basi.
At the time, Basi was the ministerial assistant to the minister of finance and Virk was the assistant to then-transportation minister Judith Reid.
After the search warrants were executed, police made it clear that no politicians were under investigation for any criminal wrongdoing.
Basi and Virk are accused of corruption, accepting benefits and breach of trust for their roles in the government's privatization sale of BC Rail operations, which were sold in November 2003 for $1 billion to Canadian National Railways.
Basi's cousin, Aneal Basi, is also on trial for money laundering for allegedly receiving cheques from a government lobbyist representing OmniTRAX, one of the bidders for BC Rail, and transferring the money to Dave Basi. {snip}
Full story at:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=9bfb85d4-b76a-456c-be55-d40a2673831a&k=53034
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