Tuesday, June 03, 2008

 

Premier's testimony sought in BC Rail trial

.
Corruption case may begin later this summer

Neal Hall
Vancouver Sun - Tuesday, June 03, 2008

The trial judge in the BC Rail corruption case heard Monday that the defence wants to call Premier Gordon Campbell as a witness, along with other key staff such as the premier's former deputy minister and cabinet secretary Ken Dobell.

The New Democrats have repeatedly asked questions in the legislature about Dobell's role in assessing privilege concerning cabinet documents related to the privatization of BC Rail. At the time, he had not signed an undertaking that was required by a protocol established by Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm after the documents were seized by police in a raid on the legislature.

The application concerning this issue is set to be heard starting July 14, the court decided Monday.

The court was also told that on June 10 the defence plans to file an application setting out its argument challenging claims of cabinet privilege over a number of documents.

The trial judge, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett, has decided that on June 30 the trial will finally get rolling and will sit continuously to sort out the remaining pre-trial issues.

The trial, which may begin hearing witnesses later this summer, was originally scheduled to start in 2005, but has been been repeatedly delayed by problems of disclosure to the defence. {Snip} ...


"On one of the applications, there are 2,200 documents [about which] the Crown is asserting some form of privilege, which is an absolutely astounding number," [Leonard Krog, Opposition justice critic] said.

Boxes of documents were seized during a raid on the legislature on Dec. 28, 2003, by the RCMP and Victoria police.

Basi and Virk are accused of fraud, accepting a benefit and breach of trust for allegedly leaking confidential information about the BC Rail bidding process.

The defence still is awaiting the outcome of an appeal of the trial judge's decision involving a secret witness. The appeal is set for three days next week, starting June 9.

nhall@png.canwest.com

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=5d237f3a-b626-42cd-806f-769501e2ea59

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


Comments:
So it all comes back to Ken Dobell for what appears to wearing far too many hats.

Is the arrogance of this man, that we all saw when he pleaded guilty to not being a registered lobbyist, that has delayed the Basi/Virk trial for so long?
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

BC MARY INFLUENCING THE VANCOUVER SUN EDITORIAL BOARD.

Mary you rock!!! Check out Neal Hall's article's from last night online and then todays paper version(both here). The header yesterday says "BC Rail corruption case to start at month's end". Today's paper version states " Corruption case may begin later this summer". This first header had me scratching my old noggin yesterday after reading Tieleman's article. Then Bill did not see Hall in the courthouse. Something very strange going on here. Then I remembered we commented on this yesterday. I have to take partial blame for this because I remember I invited Neal Hall to the Golden Golf Turn-a-mint yesterday. Maybe he was phoning in his courthouse story from the 19th hole. Sorry about that all. Thats the last time I invite the media to a fundraiser.

Footnote: Palmer and Leyne did a hell of a good job on the RCMP raiding the Ledge again. Leyne's is a very funny article. " Palmer should clean his windows once in awhile" thats a good one Les. Very funny.
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

KEN DOBELL, PLEASE PHONE PATRICK KINSELLA TO GIVE ADVICE ON ESSAY WRITING. THEY MAY BE LOBBYISTS BATMAN, BUT THEY ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS.

Sean Holeman has a killer article on Mr. Kinsella and Mark Jiles in 24 hours today.

"Access to key decision makers is simply the price of admission in our business" according to Jiles. WOW!!! I bet they were golfing too yesterday. Mr. Kinsella does not consider himself a lobbyist. Hmmmmm. Maybe he has already chatted with Mr. Dobell. Thanks Sean, no one would have a clue about the shenanagens of this lobbyist if not for you. I have some air miles I would like to donate for any flights out of B.C.
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

NOW THAT IS ROADSENSE, FASTEST LOBBYIST REGISTRATION IN B.C.'S LOBBYIST HISTORY. PAUL TAYLOR HAS SIGNED UP AS AN IN-HOUSE LOBBYIST FOR YOU GUESSED IT, NAIKUN WIND ENERGY GROUP.

Just some of the MLA's and staff contacted by another of Naikun's Lobbyist's Cindy Burton are:

Neufeld, Penner, Gordon Campbell, Falcon, Krueger, de Jong, Hagen, Coell.

Agencies contacted:
BC Hydro, BC Utilities Commission, BC Transmission Commission, Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources, Enviroment, Minister Responsible for Water Stewardship and Sustainable Communities and the Office of the Premier.

WOW! Did I miss anyone ? I did't see the finance ministry, good thing. Can you imagine Paul walking into the old haunt to assist in business opportunities(stolen from Holeman) for Naikun with his old underlings ?

This is kind of ironic, that B.C.'s newest lobbyist was once/still is until the detailed KPMG report is released under investigation for alleged lobbyist connections with lobbyists that allegedly greased the wheels in a small trial going on in B.C. You can't make this stuff up. Paul, it may be legal, however that don't make it right.
 
.

gosh amighty, Ecs, your wheels are smoking today!

Thank you for all the tumbling tips.

British Columbia is really producing some spectaculars, eh? Paul Taylor, Ken Dobell, Patrick Kinsella ...

Scary!

.
 
What's with Vaughn and some of the other CanWest stenographers and worse lately? Have the BC liaRs been holding back on their PR commission payments or cutting back on the perks? Or can they just see better, thanks to their position vis-a-vis access to information, that the BC liaR ship is sinking and like all rats they are now trying to jump ship, before it goes down.

I'll pick the last choice. They're jumping ship and hoping that they can make us forget they used to have their own deck chairs!
 
Yup.

Rubber is hitting the road.

Hard.

And spinning so fast that things really are starting to smoke!

(really is interesting how much the Hall story changed between the two iterations - I was writing a post on the first last night, and when I looked this morning I couldn't believe the difference (which indicates that, perhaps, the 'issue' did not arise with the reporter?)

.
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS

PG, I have been trying to figure out where you are going with this greasing the wheels stuff and an old thought came back from last year. We have all been wondering how the Pilothouse boys were not charged with any wrong doing with this mess. From all the info over the years, it has always had me wondering about that. Alleged bribing of a government employee etc. How the hell could they not be charged ? The prosecuters looked like they had a pretty strong case without the lobbyists. Then out of no where the lobbyists turned crown witness's. Surprised the heck out of many. Maybe, just maybe the lobbyists know a little too much about all the players in Victoria and around the province.

The defense have brought up many scenarios over the last year and I have forgotten many. That question about OmniTrax and the wheel greasers has been on my mind for some time and it has kept nagging at me. With all this news today about the slimy content consultants and large dollars being made it hit me again, Pilothouse's three know way, way too much. Think about all the singing they could do in the court room if charged. Then think about all the sweetheart deals and sucking up the liberals did when those who got nabbed for wrong doings got caught. Paul Taylor's good buy from ICBC was a joke if it was'nt so sad. Gordon and gang could not praise him enough in the media. I have said before, can you imagine if they canned this guy and possibly next year he's singing down at Smythe Street ? Now that would have the Sun there every day.

Since day one, the s prosecuter has said the Basi Virk Basi guys were on the bottom of the totem pole regarding the BC Rail meetings and going ons. It's quite clear that Virk was quite a player in all those meetings. The Gary Collins issues I will save for another day however, he does like italian food. A few musings from the collision guy. I can hardly wait for your thoughts on your blog.

Footnote: 24 HOURS has four articles on Kinsella and read # 2 of the FOI report. Tieleman has got it right. I won't hold my breath for the MSM to do any thing on Kinsella, he has too many friends and it might disrupt the friends/sponsers of the Olympics.
 
"it might disrupt the friends/sponsors of the Olympics."

Heck by the time the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics come around on the guitar maybe only Gates and Buffet and their ilk will be able to afford to come. That is assuming that:

1)Bush and Cheney haven't started WWIII by attacking Iran as a going away present

2)there aren't global wide food riots almost everywhere except Point Grey and Maui

3)We aren't in the midst of the "Really" Great Depression and

4)the Eagle Ridge portion of the Rich Folk's Sea to Die Highway hasn't collapsed due to an 8.1 "big one!"

How many years went by after the Olympics hosted by Hitler showed him that his ideal wasn't necessarily the Master Race - at least not at racing? They didn't have any in 1940 or 1944, it was twelve years between Summer Games. Wars and global crisis tend to emphasize how irrelevant "bread and circuses" like the Olympics really are compared to the blow back of economic injustice and planet wide abuse of nature.

Looking forward I'd say the GameUs Spectacle has a 50/50 chance of happening at all. I haven't even listed the possibility of myriad GameUs promoters being incarcerated or at least facing criminal charges for non-related (Olympic non-related conflicts of interest and other assorted frauds, scams and abuses of the public trust.

How many threads of questionable activities have to lead directly to the Premier's office before the (dis)Honourable Mr. Campbell actually has to do some 'splaining?
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

SPORTS MARKETING 101: Module 1 How to make money by promoting BC through Washington state design companies.

BC CANADA PAVILION-DESIGNED BY ORCA CREATIVE GROUP FROM WASHINGTON STATE WITH THE HELP OF A "SPORTS MARKETING" FIRM FROM VANCOUVER.

Hot off the pages of The Olympic Secretariat and "OUR 2010 STRATEGY" "Most importantly, the Province is committed to making the most of it's time in the spotlight to promote British Columbia as the place to live, work, visit and invest. British Columbia is home to a modern, diverse economy, and the BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat is showcasing to the world the enterprise and innovation at work throughout B.C."

Really, invest in B.C. and innovation ? I think we have some very outstanding companies in B.C. that could have designed this vehicle for investing in B.C. Then again maybe there are some friends of friends of friends that educated the Olympic Secratariat that investing in a Washington state company to the tune of 8 million B.C. taxpayer dollars is a good way to invest in B.C. Now that is "Sports Marketing" at it's finest. And one further note why you won't see the "Sports Marketers" in the Sun is the Sun along with The Creative Group are "sponsors" of the BC CANADA PAVILLION in China. How about that sponsorship ?

The real reason I spewed on about 24 hours fine reporting is after reading Tieleman's old article on Martin-Campbell connections and lobbyist's connections that I did not know about. These guys all know each other and even had business connections. Scary. More on this later after homework "collision style".
 
.
What next, ECS?!!

I've just been reading the 6 documents generously posted by Sean Holman at Public Eye Online.

Details of the employment contracts and fees paid by Washington State to The Progressive Group (Kinsella, Jiles) for promoting Washington State at the 2010 Olympic Games.

Made me sick. No kidding. I thought I had recovered quite nicely from that rotten cold ... but no. An hour wallowing around in that stuff and I'm all feverish and coughing and thinking I'm gonna die again. Er ... make that, thinking again that I'm gonna die.

So thanks (I think) for donning your hip waders and shoveling out some of that stuff for us. Thanks especially to Sean Holman.

But Dang, is there no end to it? it's downright infuriating somehow.

.
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

THIS JUST IN FROM 24 HOURS/PUBLICEYE/TIELEMAN/BC MARY.

CAMPBELL AND OLYMPIC SECRETARIAT THINK 2010 OLYMPICS BEING HELD IN WASHINGTON STATE. see foi's for more.

BC BUSINESS'S CLOSE THE BORDER, DEMAND CHANGES TO NAFTA. but only for 5 months before and after the games.
 
.
Wha-a-att???

.
 
Re: Mr. K......

Casinos?

.
 
Express Collision Shop Said,

NO CALLS TODAY ALICE, I'M BUSY ALL DAY WITH THE LAWYERS.

"A VANOC spokesman said Poole was on vacation yesterday. A request to interview Furlong was not fulfilled. Both Antoniak and Hansen were unavailable to comment yesterday."

Keep on them Sean, tell them it's a photo op. So Kinsella has finally got caught with his dirty hands in the procurement pool. Which lawyer will he hire from the friends of friends of friends ? Maybe he thought he was untouchable. A nasty rumour from the collision industry has it that there may be some sub contracting out of no name lobbyists for some big name lobbyists and friends for all sorts of educating of government types. Good thing FOIs are still attainable in the states. You can't get any here that has any thing to do with the Olympics.

Mary you asked whats next ? Well lets all hope the MSM does some work on the "Sports Marketers" for the good of the taxpayers. Maybe David Baines could look into the portfolios of a few friends of friends of friends. He can start with gaming shares and work his way down to energy, development and forest companies to name a few. Then maybe tomorrow we will have all the answers from the above absentees. I really want to hear from Gordon on those meetings with his office and the sports marketers.

The paper trail always gets them-just follow the money. Keep up the good work all, I have a lot of unused airmiles.

Gaz, I believe its spelled Kasinos with a K.
 
.
This is for the person who left a detailed comment explaining to me that Grow-Ops are really wonderful additions to the BC economy, just wholesome Mom & Pop innovations. - BC Mary.
__________________________________________

Five Vancouver-area men nabbed in Washington State

King5 televison
Published: Friday, June 06, 2008

After three-year undercover investigation, five Metro Vancouver men were arrested in Ferndale, Wash., Thursday for allegedly leading a Canadian drug ring linked to the Hells Angels, Seattle television station King5 is reporting today.

Robert Shannon of Maple Ridge and Devron Quast of Abbotsford, both 38, were indicted along with seven others for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, King5 said on its website. Also indicted were Philip Stone, 45, of Abbotsford, Richard Jansen, 33, of Chilliwack, Tomohisa Kawabata, 34, of Vancouver, and several Washington State men, the station said.

The arrests came after a three-year investigation that resulted in more than 1,300 pounds of cocaine, 7,000 pounds of BC Bud and $3.5 million seized, the station said.

According to the indictment, Shannon is accused of distributing the narcotics for the Hells Angels motorcycle gang and other groups, and directing the smuggling operations. Drugs were allegedly hidden inside hollowed out logs on trucks, inside PVC pipes, within loads of commercial lumber and beauty bark and inside a propane tanker. Some were carried on foot across the border between the U.S. and Canada. Quast allegedly ran the day to day operations, the station said.

On Thursday, law enforcement officials seized another $50,000 and hundreds of pounds of BC Bud. Quast and Shannon reportedly came to Ferndale to meet with an undercover officer in connection with the drug deal, King5 said.

Also indicted were the following people: Philip Stone, 45, of Abbotsford, Richard Jansen, 33, of Chilliwack, Jesse Holmes, 64, of Blaine, Wash.; Tomohisa Kawabata, 34, of Vancouver; Todd Gabriel, 41, of Everett, Wash.; Chance Gerrior, 42, of Arlington, Wash.; and Korrine Doggett, 42, of Arlington, Wash., King5 said.

Quast and Stone were employed at Don Quast Hyundai. According to the company Web site, Quast is the general manager and Stone is the sales manager. If convicted, Shannon and Quast face up to life in prison based on drug amounts involved, King5 said.

.
 
and this, too:


Gangster pleads guilty in U.S. drug case. Vancouver man could face up to nine years in prison over 10-year-old charges

Kim Bolan
Vancouver Sun - June 06, 2008


For 10 years and through every level of Canada's courts, Ranjit Singh Cheema claimed he was not an international drug trafficker and should never be extradited to the U.S. to face trial.

But less than five months after being shipped to California to face a series of 1998 charges, the Vancouver gangster has pleaded guilty and could face nine years in prison and a $500,000 US fine when sentenced in September.

The Vancouver Sun obtained a 16-page plea agreement that Cheema signed last week, saying he did in fact participate in an international conspiracy to bring 200 kilograms of heroin from Pakistan to the U.S.

He also agreed that he drove to Seattle in 1997 and met a confidential informant working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to make final plans for shipment of the large quantity of heroin, which was to be exchanged for cocaine from a Colombian cartel.

Cheema also accepted responsibility for using a "communication facility" -- a telephone or pager -- to execute the conspiracy.

The 40-year-old former south Vancouver resident has been on the radar of police in B.C. for years, having been an associate of notorious gangster Bindy Johal before he was gunned down in December 1998.

Cheema was first charged in the international trafficking case in February 1998, but hired top-notch defence lawyers to fight extradition to the U.S. Finally, in January of this year, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Cheema's request for leave to appeal the earlier decision.

Three of his associates -- all from the Lower Mainland -- were caught in Los Angeles as the sting unfolded. All pleaded guilty, served their sentences and have been back in Canada for years.

Many of Cheema's former associates are either dead or serving lengthy prison terms for murder. {Snip} ...

In August 1995, Cheema was shot after leaving the Zodiac Karaoke bar in Richmond, along with associate Robbie Kandola.

West Vancouver Police Chief Kash Heed, who knew Cheema during his years with the Vancouver Police Department, said the conviction is like the end of an era.

"However, what is disturbing is that there are so many others that have stepped in to fill this gangster void created when these people are taken out of circulation, whether it is through violent means or through judicial practices," Heed said Thursday.

"Law enforcement has been aware of Cheema's activities for quite some time. We are fortunate that he has finally been brought to justice with respect to this particular crime in the United States."

Sgt. Shinder Kirk of the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force said the fact Cheema is finally doing prison time shows the commitment of police on both sides of the border.

"The extradition and subsequent guilty plea underscores the tenacity in which law enforcement investigates and pursues investigations involving alleged organized crime in North America and internationally," Kirk said.

Meanwhile, United Nations gang leader Clayton Roueche made his first appearance in a Seattle courtroom Thursday after he was implicated in a cross-border trafficking and money-laundering case.

He will have a bail hearing next week.

Roueche and two other B.C. men are alleged to have conspired with six Washington state men "within the past five years," beginning as early as 2005, to conspire to export cocaine from the U.S., to import into Washington state from B.C. more than 1,000 kilos of marijuana and to engage in money-laundering.

Heed said it is ironic that both Cheema and Roueche are now in U.S. jails, when law enforcement agencies in Canada were well aware of their criminal activities.

"When we look at just the two examples that we are using -- Roueche and Cheema -- they are not concerned about this local situation we have," he sid.

"They're transnational, trans-international with respect to their activities. And now look who takes them down: Law enforcement outside not only of Metro Vancouver, but outside of Canada. Law enforcement has not been successful at interdicting them on Canadian soil."

___________________________________
 
Post a Comment



<< Home