Pubdate: Tue, 30 Dec 2003
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 The Daily Herald-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804
Authors: Greg Joyce, and Dirk Meissner

MOUNTIE PROBE INTO ORGANIZED CRIME DRUGS REACHES INSIDE B.C. LEGISLATURE

VANCOUVER - One of the men connected to a Sunday police raid on the 
legislature offices of two B.C. cabinet ministers said Monday he's done 
nothing wrong and expects to be exonerated.

David Basi, ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins, said in 
a statement he was told by RCMP that he ''was not being arrested or charged 
at this time.''

Basi, who was fired Monday, made the statement after police raided the 
offices of Collins and Transportation Minister Judith Reid, seizing boxes 
of files.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. John Ward said the raid was based on information 
related to an organized-crime drug case, as well as unrelated information 
discovered as a byproduct of a 20-month drug investigation that resulted in 
the arrests last week of nine people.

He stressed the search warrants at the legislature were aimed at two 
non-elected officials and did not involve any provincial politicians. No 
arrests have been made nor charges laid in connection with the legislature 
raid, he said.

''I want to make it clear it's not a political investigation,'' said Ward.

Media reports said the searches involved records thought to be in the 
offices of Basi and Robert Virk, an assistant to Reid.

Global affiliate BCTV reported that Basi and Virk are brothers-in-law.

Basi's appointment was rescinded Monday and Virk was suspended with pay.

Police did not say what evidence was being sought. No wrongdoing was 
alleged against either Basi or Virk.

Solicitor General Rich Coleman said the government's oft-stated concern 
about the $6-billion annual drug business in B.C. is not compromised by an 
investigation that reached the legislature.

''It clearly tells the people of this province that we will not allow any 
area of our government or our province to be compromised by organized 
crime,'' he said in Victoria.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart