Mark Hume, Globe and Mail
The solicitor-general of British Columbia “intervened” in a politically explosive RCMP investigation by heading off police before they could interview one of the most powerful members of cabinet, the Supreme Court of British Columbia was told yesterday.
Defence lawyer Michael Bolton said an RCMP investigative team was set to fly to Hawaii to track down Gary Collins, then finance minister, the day after police raided the B.C. Legislature on Dec. 28, 2003.
The police wanted to tackle Mr. Collins with questions about his trusted ministerial aide, Dave Basi, as soon as possible after the raid, which generated massive news coverage in B.C.
Police, who at the time were investigating alleged breaches of trust by Mr. Basi and two other civil servants in the privatization of BC Rail, also intended to interview transportation minister Judith Reid, who was holidaying on the islands.
But Mr. Bolton said police decided not to go, even though they had cleared their Hawaii visit with the FBI attaché in Vancouver, after solicitor-general Rich Coleman’s office contacted senior officers.
“The government is concerned that Collins and Reid could inadvertently expose cabinet confidences,” said an RCMP briefing note on the solicitor- general’s concerns, which Mr. Bolton read in court.
“The solicitor-general intervened,” Mr. Bolton said. “The solicitor-general has become very involved in the investigation. … [He's] making investigative decisions such as when to interview Mr. Collins.”
Mr. Bolton said police didn’t take a statement from Mr. Collins until some two months later.
Mr. Coleman, who is now forests minister, rejected the allegation. “I’m not going to comment on what’s before the courts, but I can tell you at no time during my time as the solicitor-general of this province did I influence any police investigation,” Mr. Coleman told CTV in Victoria.
But in court, Mr. Bolton read parts of a statement Mr. Collins gave police in which he said one of the first people he called when he heard about the legislature search was Mr. Coleman.
“I am politically astute enough to know that this is a really, really, really bad thing,” Mr. Collins said of the search. “So I managed to track down the solicitor-general … [who said] it had something to do with organized crime.”
Mr. Basi and Bobby Virk are charged with fraud and breach of trust for allegedly leaking confidential government information about BC Rail, which was sold to CN Rail for $1-billion. Aneal Basi is charged with laundering money for Dave Basi that allegedly came from Pilothouse Public Affairs Group, a Victoria firm lobbying for OmniTRAX Inc., a U.S. company that lost in the BC Rail bid.
The trial, which is giving glimpses into the backroom operations of the Liberals in B.C., has produced numerous allegations of political dirty tricks being directed by Dave Basi with the approval of Mr. Collins and top officials in Premier Gordon Campbell’s office.
Yesterday, a new assertion was made, that Pilothouse paid the mayor of Quesnel to attack CN in the local media. Mr. Bolton said Pilothouse, on behalf of OmniTRAX, paid Stephen Wallace $1,000, by writing a cheque to Wallace Driving School.
Court heard that Mr. Wallace, who is no longer mayor, said in a statement to police that he was paid $500 a day “to sample public opinion.”
Mr. Bolton said a Pilothouse note to OmniTRAX states: “Our friend understands where this originates from and is grateful. He went to the local media … and said CN will close the [BC Rail] line.”
The case is expected to continue until the fall.
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