Tuesday, December 02, 2008

 

Why the Basi Virk Case still matters

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By Bill Tieleman
24 HOURS (Dec. 2, 2008)


... Overnight on Dec. 2 last year, my office was broken into and trashed, with a clear message that it was because of my Basi-Virk coverage.

Here's why the fate of B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is very much in the balance depending on when - and if - this case is ever heard.

The Legislature raid to seize files and computers belonging to David Basi and Virk began as a drug investigation, expanding to a breach of trust and fraud case due to wiretap evidence. {Snip} ...

The defence alleges in court that some evidence backs up their central argument - that the RCMP "tailored and targeted" Basi and Virk and avoided investigating B.C. Liberal cabinet ministers, including Basi's boss, former Finance Minister Gary Collins.

The court also heard lengthy allegations that political dirty tricks by the B.C. Liberals were coordinated directly out of Campbell's office. If proven true in a trial where documents are produced and testimony heard, that alone could change the course of the provincial election. But a prosecution appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to try keeping one witness' identity secret means the trial can't likely start before the May 2009 election.

And that's scandalous.

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