Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jan 2003
Source: 100 Mile House Free Press (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 100 Mile House Free Press
Contact:  http://www.100milefreepress.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2143
Author: Heather Colpitts

PATIENCE, FOR NOW

Name one British Columbia government from memory that wasn't the
subject of an RCMP investigation. It's pretty tough to do. There is
something in the water in the province that results in some of the
strangest politics of any jurisdiction in Canada.

The Liberal government of Premier Gordon Campbell is now added to the
list of governments investigated by the police.

On Sunday, Dec. 28, the RCMP and Victoria police executed nine search
warrants at a variety of locations, including the offices of two
ministerial aides at the B.C. legislature, and seven businesses or
homes in Victoria and the Lower Mainland.

The RCMP will only report that the raids come as a result of a
20-month investigation concerned with organized crime, illegal drugs,
police corruption and commercial crimes. Dave Basi, the ministerial
assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Bob Virk, the
ministerial assistant to Transportation Judith Reid, were named as
part of the investigation.

The warrants were quickly sealed by the courts so the public will have
to wait to find out the nature of the evidence used to obtain the
warrants. The lack of information being made public has led to
speculation and rumour-mongering.

While the police need the authority and autonomy to conduct
investigations free of political interference, they must also
understand that the public is expecting a full accounting of the
situation to be made public as soon as possible.

This investigation has reached into the highest political office in
British Columbia and seems to have connections to Paul Martin's
federal Liberals.

For now, some patience is warranted as the investigation is conducted,
but the public won't wait forever for answers and they won't forget
either.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin