Basi-Virk case - 24 hours newspaper coverage Day 1

Basi-Virk trial hears startling claims

By BILL TIELEMAN, 24 HOURS

Lawyers for former provincial government aides David Basi, Bob Virk and Aneal Basi dropped several bombshell allegations in B.C. Supreme Court yesterday, alleging a top B.C. Liberal Party staffer told Premier Gordon Campbell about an aspect of the David Basi investigation.

Virk's lawyer, Kevin McCullough, also alleged that former B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins was under police investigation in November 2003, before the B.C. Legislature was searched by police Dec. 28 that year.

Collins immediately denied the allegation Tuesday, telling Canadian Press that police have said he was never under investigation.

McCullough claimed in his defence disclosure application that the RCMP had "acted in bad faith" by telling the media that no elected officials were under investigation when they "knew full well they were investigating Mr. Collins in November."

It should be noted that these are simply allegations and that they remain unproven in court.
The Crown has also not had an opportunity to reply.

McCullough also alleged in court that Campbell was informed by B.C. Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert in June 2005 that RCMP were forwarding a report to Crown counsel on

David Basi's alleged "media monitoring" contracts with the B.C. Liberal Party.

Campbell was not in the Legislature yesterday afternoon and was unavailable for comment. The B.C. Liberal Party did not return an inquiry by press time.

McCullough told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett that the Crown counsel report came because: "One of the investigations of Mr. Basi was whether there was any wrongdoing regarding the media monitoring contracts with the Liberal Party."

McCullough called the "media monitoring" contracts "a highly political effort to sway public opinion through the use of radio shows and other events" without providing further details.

McCullough pointed out that RCMP Inspector Kevin DeBruyckere "was and still remains the brother-in-law of Kelly Reichert" although he did not, at any point, allege any impropriety on the part of either DeBruyckere or Reichert.