Wednesday, September 17, 2008
MLA was under investigation
.
MLA was under investigation, Basi-Virk judge hears
Documents contradict what RCMP have been saying, Farnworth says
By Keith Fraser
Vancouver Province - September 17, 2008
Liberal MLA Dave Hayer was under RCMP investigation in connection with one of the three men on trial on corruption charges related to the December 2003 raid on the legislature, a judge heard Wednesday.
Michael Bolton, the lawyer for accused David Basi, told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett that recent document disclosure has indicated that the Surrey-Tynehead MLA had asked Basi to help him in having ICBC assessments against his constituents reduced.
The assessments allegedly related to collections and outstanding debts but the police investigation later fizzled, according to the documents.
When police first announced details of the police raid on the legislature they said that no elected officials were under investigation and the NDP is demanding to know why that now appears to be incorrect.
{Snip} ...
"We've heard in the past that no elected officials were under investigation. This appears to fly in the face of that. This is rather disturbing. The public needs to know what took place and when it took place."
Outside court, Bolton told reporters that defence lawyers in the case have always taken the position that former finance minister Gary Collins was under police investigation. Basi, who was an aide to Collins, and Bobby Virk are accused of accepting a benefit, breach of trust, and fraud for allegedly leaking information about the bidding process in the government's sale of B.C. Rail.
Aneal Basi is accused of money-laundering for allegedly accepting money and transferring it to Basi, his cousin.
E-mail reporter Keith Fraser at kfraser@png.canwest.com
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d3441b26-5a2c-42f7-a519-dc9a469d6661
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MLA was under investigation, Basi-Virk judge hears
Documents contradict what RCMP have been saying, Farnworth says
By Keith Fraser
Vancouver Province - September 17, 2008
Liberal MLA Dave Hayer was under RCMP investigation in connection with one of the three men on trial on corruption charges related to the December 2003 raid on the legislature, a judge heard Wednesday.
Michael Bolton, the lawyer for accused David Basi, told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett that recent document disclosure has indicated that the Surrey-Tynehead MLA had asked Basi to help him in having ICBC assessments against his constituents reduced.
The assessments allegedly related to collections and outstanding debts but the police investigation later fizzled, according to the documents.
When police first announced details of the police raid on the legislature they said that no elected officials were under investigation and the NDP is demanding to know why that now appears to be incorrect.
{Snip} ...
"We've heard in the past that no elected officials were under investigation. This appears to fly in the face of that. This is rather disturbing. The public needs to know what took place and when it took place."
Outside court, Bolton told reporters that defence lawyers in the case have always taken the position that former finance minister Gary Collins was under police investigation. Basi, who was an aide to Collins, and Bobby Virk are accused of accepting a benefit, breach of trust, and fraud for allegedly leaking information about the bidding process in the government's sale of B.C. Rail.
Aneal Basi is accused of money-laundering for allegedly accepting money and transferring it to Basi, his cousin.
E-mail reporter Keith Fraser at kfraser@png.canwest.com
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d3441b26-5a2c-42f7-a519-dc9a469d6661
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