Wednesday, March 16, 2011

 

BC Rail: seize and destroy all Basi-Virk documents? But "if there were a public inquiry that would be a different ball game,” said the Defence lawyer.

.



Something is fishy in B.C.

By Kim
Sister Sage's Musings - March 16, 2011

Visit Kim's article for embedded links.
http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2011/03/16/something-is-fishy-in-bc/


Three stories showed up on my radar today that come together to form a sinking feeling in my gut.  First off, the Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP Gary Bass retired very quietly on March 13.  The rest of the world had their eyes averted to horrors in Japan.  DC Bass had a long history with the RCMP, as outlined in a letter to the Deputy Commish composed by Robin Mathews, dated Feb. 13, 2011.  He posted the letter here.  It is rather long, but stick with it, as it pretty much tells the long and sordid history of Bass as a microcosm of what is wrong with the RCMP and what is so very fishy in the Province of BC.  I saw this news and promptly forgot about it, as the horror rolled in from Asia and North Africa..

Then this morning suddenly, Gordon Campbell retired as MLA of Point Grey.  My first reaction was one of great satisfaction, that the evil Corporatist had finally and really stepped down.  Pale caught the mood perfectly, I thought with this.  You may think to yourself, well no, he resigned back on Nov. 3, 2010, as reported in the Globe and Mail.  Well, he announced it then, but didn’t step down for 4 1/2 months.  Unlike Danny Williams, beloved Premier of Newfoundland, who gave 6 days notice when he retired.  Not Campbell, he had some loose ends to tie up.  Some more evidence to bury before he made his getaway.

Late this afternoon, Bill Tieleman broke the astonishing story that the BC Supreme Court has ordered the Defence in the BC Rail/organised crime Trial to give up all its evidence to the RCMP for destruction.

More than one million pages of Crown evidence disclosed to defence lawyers for convicted former B.C. government ministerial aides David Basi and Bob Virk has been ordered returned to police for destruction…

 Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie ruled in a decision released Tuesday that documents disclosed – including RCMP files, B.C. Liberal MLA emails and cabinet meeting information – must be returned by defence lawyers to police or the Special Prosecutor for destruction.

Gary Bass was in charge during the Gustafsun Lake fiasco, the botched Pickton Trial, the disasterous Dziekantski killing at YVR, as written in the National Post about his (Bass) disgraceful non-apology to the mother of the victim after his officers were caught on tape tasering Dziekanski to death.

The proof? Bass’s own emails to another member of the force, where he assures his colleague not to worry about the word apology, since he doesn’t really mean it.The email, obtained under an Access to Information request by the Vancouver Sun, reveals that the day before Bass went before the cameras and told Dziekanski’s mother how sorry the RCMP was, he was saying something very different indeed to a colleague:

“Even though the word ‘apology’ worries some, we are not apologizing for the actions of specific members or saying anything about specific actions. I am apologizing for the loss of her son and where the [RCMP Commissioner] says we could have done better, from my perspective, that relates to the fact we had to revise our policy and training…. Let me know if I can explain any further as it is important the membership gets the right message as to what we are trying to do [here].”

He presided over the investigation into the BC Rail case as well.  Considering all of that, the surprising thing is that Mr. Bass lasted so long in such a position of power.
Except that they, and by they, I mean Gordon Campbell, Gary Collins, Judith Reid, Christy Clark, Geoff Plante and all of the people behind them, they needed Gary Bass to remain in his position, in order to block and stonewall any requests or demands to open any further investigation of criminal behavior by those people.

Today they all got their wish.  Madame Justice  Anne MacKenzie tied it all up with a nice bow to deliver all that nasty, incriminating evidence to the very same police force that failed to investigate the criminals in this case and instead delivered two scapegoats to wear it.  Despite numerous calls for a full public inquiry by the Opposition, by Robin Mathews, Bill Tieleman, BC Mary, Ian Reid and many others, too numerous to mention.

According to Mr. Tieleman, Basi’s lawyer, Micheal Bolton commented,

“I think it forecloses any public disclosure of these documents, short of an application to the judge,” Bolton said.

When asked if he and his client will turn over the documents, Bolton answered: “Absolutely – everyone must comply with the order.”

But Bolton said if a public inquiry were to be called by the government, the material would be made available to a Commissioner.

“If there were a public inquiry that would be a different ball game,” he said. Bolton added that no one, including media outlets, was restricted for applying to obtain the evidence disclosed to the defence.

B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark has to date rejected all calls for such an inquiry.

So why has no-one applied to obtain the evidence we all want to see so badly?  Or have they applied, and been ignored by Gary Bass, Justice MacKenzie and Mike de Jong?  We know that some material was released to the Globe and Mail, but they failed to disclose fully what they received, choosing instead to cherry pick tidbits to feed the public.  More of a non disclosure if anything.  As go the editorial staff at the G&M, so go the corporate Media in this Province as a whole.  Just like a perfectly trained goose-stepping military squad on a parade square.

Somebody has to apply for disclosure NOW!  Campbell cannot get away with this, if he does, we are lost.  We will suffer the consequences of this theft forever…and Christy Clark will smile that sickening, shark-like grin of a predator just before it attacks.  She will smile that same smile as she renews the RCMP contract and delays an election until the incriminating material is really gone.

This is not my BC.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

BC Mary comment:  Well done, Kim! Excuse me, but ... ahem, hem, hem ...  WooHOOO!!!!

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

Skookum 1 explains WikiLeaks:

WikiLeaks operates by contributions, not as an organization exactly. There are numerous ways for anyone to contribute material for WikiLeaks to publish, and will publish if it's contributed. What this will take is the person(s) who have copies of these documents/data to just upload them, in defiance of the court, just as Bradley Manning defied his orders and military obligations to serve the public interest.

"Gatekeeping" on these documents has not worked, and has brought things to a head as the court and the Crown are now threatening punishment if any more documents are released. The onus right now is for the person(s) who have them is to return the documents; but to make sure that copies of all of them also reach WikiLeaks servers, where they will be immune from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and outside the powers of the Crown or the RCMP to destroy them

Period.

"Person(s)" in question, I hope you are listening. It's time for moral bravery now in the interests of truth. Playing poker will no longer work as the dealer is trying to shut down the gaming table.

Exoneration lies in the truth; not in obedience to the Court of Engineered Untruth.

WikiLeaks is there and waiting; all it takes is someone with enough moral fortitude to "do the right thing". This is no longer a province ruled by laws, or by justice, only by expediency and despotism. It's time to end the farce NOW.

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

GuyinVic writes:

I and my fellow taxpayers have just spent millions on the trial of the century. And now an appointed Judge wants to destroy material related to the biggest scandal in BC history. WHY ?

This should not be allowed. How long are [we] going to let the Liberal gang and friends walk all over us and laugh all the way to the bank ?

GuyinVic

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



Comments:
Everyone interested in court corruption in BC should read this self-serving guest editorial that appeared in Victoria's Times-Apologist newspaper today:

B.C.'s JUSTICE SYSTEM AMONG THE WORLD'S BEST
Despite some trial delays, process is fair to both lawyers and clients

BY MICHAEL T. MULLIGAN, Mulligan Tam Pearson Law Corp.
Times Colonist March 16, 2011

The editorial entitled "Getting our day in court" suggested that inadequate access to justice in British Columbia is the product of some combination of inefficiency, stalling tactics by lawyers, frivolous litigation and billing practices in civil litigation cases involving contingency fee agreements (March 10).

The editorial suggested there were simple remedies to these perceived problems, and that the legal profession should fix these perceived failings without the necessity of the government properly funding the legal aid system.

First, it should be noted that far from being some sort of abject failure, British Columbia's justice system, both civil and criminal, is among the best in the world.

In the civil context, for example, if you compare our model with most U.S. states, we have vastly fewer cases that wind up going to trial. This is, in part, because we have a cost structure that discourages frivolous litigation."

...
ad nauseum

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Comment+justice+system+among+world+best/4447491/story.html?cid=megadrop_story
 
And I think we all need to be enlightened about the direct role BC's mainstream media have in Christy Clark's "new" government. Please permit me to provide this excerpt from another blogger, because Lord knows we won't be told this by the mainstream media:

Guess who Premier Clark’s new Deputy Communications Director is?

Rebecca Scott.

Don’t know her? Let me help. She is the immediate past producer of ‘The Bill Good Show’ (she just left). I know, I know, queue the maniacal laughter. But here’s where it gets interesting, and a CONFLICT!

She is engaged to be married to Stephen Smart, formerly of CTV Vancouver and now the CBC Vancouver-Victoria Bureau Chief.

So, let’s do the math: Not-So-Sweetie and Smartie are NEVER going to talk shop at home on the couch or the breakfast nook? Of course not. No plums there, nope, none.

The CBC needs to clean this up pronto considering the Belle Puri fiasco (they put Puri on political ice permanently, now they need to take some steps with Smart).



There's more at:
http://alexgtsakumis.com/2011/03/15/premier-christy-clarks-oath-omen-her-revenge-first-agenda-and-ctv-vancouvers-credibility-in-freefall/
 
Rather makes a liar of the cop who told Tieleman that the police would not destroy the documents if they were ordered returned, doesn't it?
 
So, we're to trust the RCMP not to destroy the documents according to the lead investigator of the BC Rail trial...Right!

Is that rather like we're supposed to believe that MacKenzie wasn't put there to do the job she did? That Bennett was so inept she had to be removed - publicly, and rather embarrassingly to my way of thinking.

Something stinks! March 5th - Judge orders return of all documents for destruction.
March 13th - BC's top cop and overseer of the BC Rail trial decides to retire. (Gary Bass)
March 15th - Campbell finally steps down.

What were they waiting for? MacKenzie to show them the job was done? All's well that ends well?

Well...it ain't done! As a matter of fact, now more than a few of us are getting damn mad! It's one thing to be ripped off by one's government - it's another thing entirely to see our Justice system raped, and laid to waste like a common trollop. This is not over.
 
The G+M article says the evidence:

"must be destroyed or returned to the Crown."
 
Thanks so much for reposting this Mary. I'm honoured.

Now, what does it take to apply for full disclosure? Money?
 
democracy now. more like democracy not.
what democracy destroys historic documents?
Columbia?
nooo the other columbia.
columbia north.?
 
dont forget the editor for Times Colonist Victoria recently vacated also.
 
I worry about the fourth estate in BC and Canada when no msm coverage of doc destruction is not even mentioned in sun/prov or colonist.Is bankruptcy and bias hurting public info.?Charlie sheen has more pull.bread and circuses everyone.
 
What? You mean that our old pal, Lucinda Chodan is gone??

Aw.
 
http://www.nsnews.com/Provincial+Goliath+deep+pockets/4448761/story.html#ixzz1Gnul4RU2
 
I would not trust Basi to hold these documents for the purposes of a Public Inquiry.

I dont trust Campbell, I dont trust the Liberals, and I dont trust their hench men, they are all LIARS.

What do you call someone who pleads innocent, wastes all our time and money only to guilty.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home