Pubdate: Wed, 31 Dec 2003
Source: National Post (Canada)
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Copyright: 2003 Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Lori Culbert

LENGTHY DRUG PROBE PRECEDED B.C. OFFICE RAIDS

Provincial Legislature: Special Prosecutor Assigned To Case

VANCOUVER - One of the search warrants executed on Sunday in the offices of 
two high-profile Cabinet ministers at the B.C. legislature was part of a 
lengthy RCMP drug investigation, CanWest News Service has learned.

Police have said evidence uncovered during a 20-month drug and organized 
crime investigation led to a spinoff probe into commercial crime, which 
resulted in a series of search warrants served on the weekend, including 
several against key insiders with the federal and provincial Liberal parties.

But sources say that at least one -- and potentially more -- of the seven 
search warrants executed on Sunday was also directly connected to the drug 
probe. That includes either the warrant to search the legislature office of 
Dave Basi, ministerial assistant to B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins, or 
the warrant to search the office of Bob Virk, Transportation Minister 
Judith Reid's ministerial assistant.

Mr. Basi was fired from his job on Monday. Mr. Virk was suspended with pay. 
No charges have been laid in either case.

A special prosecutor, William Berardino, has been assigned to the 
legislature case. Robert Prior, director of federal prosecutions for B.C., 
is handling the drug case, which the RCMP say was launched in the spring of 
2002 into the involvement of organized crime in the sale of B.C. marijuana 
in the U.S. in exchange for cocaine, which was then sold in Canada.

Both Mr. Berardino and Mr. Prior will have standing in court on Friday when 
media outlets argue publication bans on the search warrants should be 
overtu rned.

Mr. Prior did not return phone calls yesterday. No one from the provincial 
government would comment on the search warrants.

Gordon Campbell, the Premier, maintained on Monday that no government 
decisions were influenced or compromised in any way by the actions of Mr. 
Basi or Mr. Virk. No elected officials have been implicated in the scandal.

Police have released few details about the two investigations, and will not 
explain how the worlds of politics, drugs and organized crime allegedly 
intersected.

Sergeant John Ward, an RCMP spokesman, would not comment yesterday on the 
information about one of the two searches at the legislature being linked 
directly to drugs. He said the publication bans that apply to the warrants 
prohibit him from saying anything.

A statement issued by the RCMP on Monday acknowledged that the evidence 
uncovered in the legislature case "combined with information directly 
linked to the organized crime/drug investigation, resulted in police 
securing warrants to search offices of non-elected staff members at the BC 
Legislature" and other locations.

The seven warrants issued on Sunday include the two at the legislature, the 
home offices of two people in the Lower Mainland, the offices of a private 
company doing business in Victoria and Vancouver, and Mr. Basi's home.

Mr. Basi, a prominent organizer for the provincial and federal Liberal 
parties and a well-known supporter of Paul Martin, the Prime Minister, 
issued a statement on Monday saying he had done nothing wrong.

Police also searched the Victoria and Vancouver offices of Pilothouse 
Public Affairs Group. One of the lobbying firm's two directors is Erik 
Bornman, communications director for the B.C. chapter of the federal 
Liberals and a longtime party activist.

Police also visited the Port Moody home office of Mark Marissen, the 
husband of B.C.'s Deputy Premier, Christy Clark. Mr. Marissen is a 
long-time Martin supporter and is the Prime Minister's most powerful 
non-elected ally in B.C.

Mr. Bornman said he needed more information before commenting. Mr. Marissen 
said he was "an innocent recipient" of documents police considered 
evidence, and co-operated with authorities by handing them over.

Twenty months after the start of the joint RCMP-Victoria police 
drug/organized crime investigation, nine people were recently arrested in 
Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria but released without charges. Sgt. Ward 
denied that was a sign the case was weak or lacked any clear suspects.

"I anticipate charges will be laid. When is another question," he said. 
"When you deal with organized crime and the way it is spread out, our 
investigations are lengthy, complex and we need to take the time that's 
required to conduct them."

Sgt. Ward would not comment directly on Mr. Prior's appointment to the drug 
case. But he said that, generally speaking, a prosecutor could be appointed 
to a file before charges are laid "if we were ready to lay charges, or our 
investigation has got to the point where we want to have the Crown look at 
our case to see if anything needs shoring up."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman