Tuesday, January 29, 2008

 

Basi-Virk headlines 29 Jan. 2008

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Judge discovers mystery computer hard drive in Supreme Court Registry containing BC Legislature raid emails; defence raises fast ferries politics
Bill Tieleman
http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/ - 29 Jan 2008

A case involving allegations of political corruption got more bizarre Tuesday when B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett revealed that a computer hard drive seized in the B.C. Legislature raid in 2003 is sitting in the court registry.

And defence lawyers said up to 140 emails the provincial government is trying to keep secret include information about the “running orders” of an ex-ministerial aide regarding “political initiatives” around three fast ferries sold by B.C. Ferries for a fraction of their initial cost.

Read more at: http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/
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Courtroom 54 - January 28
Nobody can say it was a good day in Courtroom 54. It wasn't.
Robin Mathews
The Legislature Raids
http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/2008/01/courtroom-54-january-28.html
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Undisclosed e-mails delay Basi-Virk proceedings
Neal Hall
Vancouver Sun - January 28, 2008
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=738984f3-4602-445b-8278-463af56d6d8a&k=65429
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Disclosure of e-mails slows corruption trial
Neal Hall
CanWest News Service (Victoria Times Colonist) - Jan. 29, 2008
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=80a5c4a8-cc90-4e90-91ff-8edc218fa435
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Defence wants e-mails opened
Bill Tieleman
24 HOURS - January 29, 2008
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2008/01/29/4799015-sun.html
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More than 100 e-mails missing, Basi's lawyer says
Mark Hume
The Globe and Mail - January 29, 2008
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080129.BCBASI29/TPStory/National
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E-mails jam corruption trial
Keith Fraser
The Province - January 29, 2008
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4af9d513-5280-47db-9291-5f35cb354759
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More questions raised in Legislature raid
CKNW
http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428218912&rem=84375&red=80121823aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm
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Official Opposition
http://bcndpcaucus.ca

MEDIA RELEASE - Jan. 29, 2008

CAMPBELL GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO COOPERATE WITH
BASI-VIRK INVESTIGATION VIOLATES PUBLIC TRUST, SAYS FARNWORTH

VANCOUVER – {Snip} ...
“People of B.C. deserve to know exactly why an institution like the B.C. Legislature was forced to become the subject of a police search. And the B.C. Liberals’ failure to cooperate with the investigation could potentially derail a trial that must go ahead in the interest of the public.”

To explain: this News Release is included here for three reasons: 1) It comes from a member of B.C.'s Loyal Opposition, and 2) It comes from an M.L.A. who was in BC Supreme Court today. 3) Big Media rarely picks up and publishes Opposition news. The full report was sent to me by a Nanaimo constituent and is well worth reading. - BC Mary.
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Hard-drive a surprise in Basi-Virk pre-trial

Neal Hall
Vancouver Sun - January 29, 2008

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f28b1607-664f-43d7-a8e9-3b4048c28a94&k=37762
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Search for missing e-mails in BC corruption case turned up mystery hard drive

Canadian Press - January 29, 2008
Excerpt: Evidence seized in a criminal case normally is kept in a police property room until it is formally entered as an exhibit at trial, when it goes to the court's exhibit lockup.

Police and court officials are supposed to be meticulous in documenting the continuity of control to avoid any chance evidence becomes vulnerable to tampering.


http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGTeCX0QWzgaRsqHLxDj7XQjLs3A
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Comments:
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?? MYSTERY EVIDENCE ON HARD DRIVES??

Search for missing e-mails in B.C. corruption case turns up mystery hard drive
Jan 29, 2008

VANCOUVER - A search for missing e-mails in the corruption case against two former B.C. government ministerial aides has taken a strange twist with the discovery of a mystery computer hard drive in the B.C. Supreme Court registry.

Justice Elizabeth Bennett discovered the hard drive during a search for e-mail evidence defence lawyers say was missing from court files.

Prosecutor Janet Winteringham told Bennett the hard disk shouldn't be in the registry and that it appeared to be an undisclosed piece of evidence.

Dave Basi and Bobby Virk, former assistants to the Liberal government's finance and transport ministers, are set to go on trial in March on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting benefits connected with the government's $1-billion privatization of B.C. Rail in 2003.

Defence lawyers have been hammering the Crown over what they claim is inadequate disclosure of vast numbers of documents and other pieces of evidence.

The hard drive's existence came to light Tuesday after court heard that more than 100 e-mails, including cabinet documents, had gone missing, but a B.C. government lawyer has now provided Bennett with copies so she can judge their relevance.
 
Can anyone tell us, how a hard drive seized in the Legislature raids and turned over to Justice Dohm can suddenly appear in a Court Registry?
and be found there by Justice Bennett? Joey
 
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