(The following story by Bill Tieleman appeared at Vancouver.24hrs.ca on May 8.)
VANCOUVER — The prosecution in the B.C. Legislature raid case said yesterday that secret bids and cabinet documents in the $1-billion privatization of B.C. Rail were found in the offices of a lobbyist and in the home of former ministerial assistant David Basi.
Special Prosecutor Janet Winteringham told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett that a series of confidential documents related to the B.C. Rail deal were found by police when search warrants were executed on Basi’s home and the offices of Pilothouse Public Affairs.
Basi and former ministerial assistant Bob Virk face breach of trust and fraud charges. Pilothouse lobbyist Erik Bornmann will testify against them.
Winteringham said the accused broke their oaths of confidentiality as government employees. She said the documents police found included “indicative bids” for B.C. Rail from CN, CP, OmniTRAX, Rail America and Genesee & Wyoming, legal advice to government and a guide to negotiations for the provincial cabinet.
Winteringham also rejected defence allegations that RCMP Insp. Kevin Debruyckere manipulated the direction of the investigation away from ex- Finance Minister Gary Collins because his brother-in-law was B.C. Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert.
She said Debruyckere believed Collins was under investigation.