David Basi gets electronic monitoring for giving television interview and violating sentence conditions
By Bill Tieleman, 24 hours columnist
A former B.C. Liberal government ministerial aide who received house arrest after pleading guilty to political corruption charges has been put on electronic monitoring for giving a television interview.
David Basi admitted in B.C. Supreme Court Monday breaching his sentencing conditions by doing an interview outside the home of Bob Virk, the other aide who also pled guilty in charges related to the $1 billion sale of B.C. Rail in 2003.
Basi must wear an electronic monitoring device for six months and obtain advance permission from his supervisor to leave his home for permitted activities.
“These are onerous conditions – you understand that, don’t you Mr. Basi?” asked Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie.
Outside court political commentator Michael Geoghegan, a Basi friend, said the RCMP pressuring Basi to cooperate in what he said is their intention to regain evidence from the trial in his possession and destroy it, jeopardizing a possible public inquiry.
By Bill Tieleman, 24 hours columnist
A former B.C. Liberal government ministerial aide who received house arrest after pleading guilty to political corruption charges has been put on electronic monitoring for giving a television interview.
David Basi admitted in B.C. Supreme Court Monday breaching his sentencing conditions by doing an interview outside the home of Bob Virk, the other aide who also pled guilty in charges related to the $1 billion sale of B.C. Rail in 2003.
Basi must wear an electronic monitoring device for six months and obtain advance permission from his supervisor to leave his home for permitted activities.
“These are onerous conditions – you understand that, don’t you Mr. Basi?” asked Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie.
Outside court political commentator Michael Geoghegan, a Basi friend, said the RCMP pressuring Basi to cooperate in what he said is their intention to regain evidence from the trial in his possession and destroy it, jeopardizing a possible public inquiry.
21 comments:
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Global TV senior investigative reporter John Daly interviewed both David Basi and Bobby Virk in an exclusive interview.
John Daly: "Some are suggesting you’ve been bought, is that true?"
David Basi: "No comment on that, you’ll have to ask the Office of the Attorney General."
If they weren't bought off, why didn't he simply answer "NO"?
Gordon Wilson ( gordonfdwilson.com ): "How it is possible that two deputy ministers can, with a stroke of a pen, agree to dip into the provincial treasury to pay out $6 million in legal fees for two self-confessed criminals while the Vancouver School Board is closing schools and displacing hundreds of elementary school aged children due to lack of funds?"
The End is Near
When Basi & Virk accepted the plea bargain to end their 7 years of judicial abuse on Oct. 18 the 30 day clock started ticking down on the opportunity to initiate an intervenor process.
The 30 day clock closes down this week. If some smart brave lawyer does not step-up by Nov. 17, then all evidence will probably quickly be disappeared - killing any chance of a meaningful public inquiry.
Now is the time to get something in front of Justice MacKenzie asap!
Why would the court even bother, putting a monitoring device on Basi? Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR trial, was laughable from start to finish. The good thing for other criminals....They can steal, a antique roadster and sell it. If they have young children, they will do no prison time, and their legal fees, will be paid for by the BC Liberal government. My, My, what a terrible punishment Basi received. However, Basi/Virk did say, if they kept their mouths shut, they would be taken care of. And indeed, they were very well taken care of. Better yet, they are not to open their mouths, and, talk about the BCR. Campbell would, perhaps go to prison, where he belongs.
Where are the NDP on the issue of the documents? Shouldn't they apply to get the documents?
What about the lamestream media? Don't they get the idea that they need to get to the bottom of this whole issue to do with the sale of BC Rail?
Why would the court even bother, putting a monitoring device on Basi? Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR trial, was laughable from start to finish. The good thing for other criminals....They can steal, a antique roadster and sell it. If they have young children, they will do no prison time, and their legal fees, will be paid for by the BC Liberal government. My, My, what a terrible punishment Basi received. However, Basi/Virk did say, if they kept their mouths shut, they would be taken care of. And indeed, they were very well taken care of. Better yet, they are not to open their mouths, and, talk about the BCR. Campbell would, perhaps go to prison, where he belongs. Pity
Well, I guess the RCMP must do what Campbell dictates, or their contract won't be renewed in BC province. I certainly hope Basi, won't give the RCMP anything he has on Campbell. What is Campbell so afraid of, if he's innocent, he has nothing to worry about, right? I think, RCMP time would be better spent, on a further investigation of, Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR. Or the sea to sky highway scam. Campbell forces agencies and services, to lie and cover up his lies and corruption. We all know what happens to those, who do not do so....they lose their jobs. I do not know one person, who does not think, Campbell should be in prison. We must recall enough mla's, to be rid of this evil BC Liberal government.
Geohegan's claim, if true, indicates corruption that includes politicians, police and court authorities acting against public interests.
This adds to the compelling case for a formal and wide ranging public inquiry.
I blogged about the absurdity of this scenario. A seven year long process following allegations of corrupt acts in business deals worth hundreds of millions resulted in almost inconsequential sanctions. Speaking directly to the public has resulted in more serious consequences for Basi than the events that took him into court in the first place.
Can we have faith in our court system when so many questions are left unanswered?
The NDP have filed an FOI for all documents disclosed by the government. That stops the process of destroying those documents.
There is no similar process for the wiretaps and other evidence gathered by the RCMP during its investigation.
Bill this has the fingerprints of the rcmp all over this!! The breack is the tv interview? What a sick joke this has become. Every trick at the disposal of the rcmp and the government is being used to muzzle these guys and prevent the truth from coming out.
I predict the next big battle will be over the millions of pages of government documents that the rcmp and the government desperately want to have returned.
Once they have their documents back its game over for the rest of us.
Quote from your post:
Outside court political commentator Michael Geoghegan, a Basi friend, said the RCMP [is] pressuring Basi to cooperate in what he said is their intention to regain evidence from the trial in his possession and destroy it, jeopardizing a possible public inquiry.
Isn't it clear that we must make an emergency appeal to MacKenzie, Berardino, the police, whoever ... that all documents relating to the BC Rail Political Corruption Trial must be held in trust in a public place, accessible to authors, journalists, students, and others.
Like a special archive at a B.C. university.
Those documents hold the evidence of what happened to the publicly-owned BC Rail -- evidence we hoped to hear about, if the trial had been allowed to unfold properly.
The very least these judicial watchdogs owe the future citizens of BC is to safeguard those papers. And to allow for their proper study as time goes on.
To gather and deposit the documents would be a heck of a lot quicker and cheaper than a Public Inquiry but, if lucky, the documents would support the findings of a Public Inquiry in a much more meaningful way.
To destroy that evidence now, would surely be an act of vandalism. Or worse.
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Anon 3:57 says "There is no similar process for the wiretaps and other evidence gathered by the RCMP during its investigation."
Wiretap transcripts that affected the Basi/Virk charges would have been part of the material disclosed to the defense. It has been suggested that RCMP are seeking to coerce Basi into helping destroy documents. This action may be a warning shot across his bow.
I hope there is no collusion happening in official corridors but they have proved untrustworthy in so many ways. Again, that is why a public inquiry is needed.
Other good evidence that an inquiry is needed includes the fact that BC Liberal partisans are enthusiastically claiming that none should be held. In addition, the AG has made no promise to preserve evidence.
Wouldn't it be nice if the NDP ... or the media ... or somebody would stand up and announce that they've lodged a Freedom of Information request for all documents disclosed by the government in the BC Rail Political Corruption trial?
Like, this is important.
Thanks to Anonymous 3:57 for this tantalizing scrap of information but the public deserves something more.
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I have a better idea than a electronic bracelet to keep Basi at home. Try a few months in the slammer. Isn't going to happen because he might then open his mouth and blab about a number of deals
To Anonymous 7:49
The only hope we have is basi and virk keeping possession of the documents that the government, the special prosecutor and the rcmp desperately want to have back in their hands. How ironic that the men who pleaded "guilty" will now be fighting to keep the very documents that may shed light on what really happened in the backrooms!
Lets support their efforts. Once those documents are gone they will never see daylight again!
Does anyone have an estimate of how much the trial cost BC?
(salaries, juries, evidence, lawyers, etc)
Does this mean that David Basi cannot campaign for the BC Fiberal leadership?
Anonymous 3:57 PM wrote: "There is no similar process for the wiretaps and other evidence gathered by the RCMP during its investigation."
Yes there is.
A successful application for intervenor status will open ALL evidence - including the files that the RCMP hold.
So it would appear as though the RCMP are complicit with this... series of events.
Who can apply for intervenor status, and what does it involve. We can't just stand by while this evidence is destroyed. I want to help.
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"Intervenor status" sounds pretty darn good to me.
I totally agree, we can't sit idly by and watch these documents vanish.
For example, those documents form the basis for the Province of British Columbia to re-possess BC Rail. and repossession is possible, given that there are "deal-breaker" clauses in the BCR-CN contract which, I understand, have already been breached.
And besides, isn't destruction of evidence illegal?
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It saddens me to think that 6 million $ was wasted on political/criminal shenanigans when there is so much need in our world,our country.
Without a BC Rail public inquiry, I'm left with recalling that of the past 'inquiries'....Samolia for one:(
It would of political interst to regain the public trust and let BC Rail go through with it's inquiry. Just so we don't sit back and recall all the other closed down public inquiries!
Too bad the public can't own it's right to being the public.
Pity eh, only in Canada you say.
It is as more frightening that the Federal authorities at the highest ranks are okay with destroying the evidence,
first world class country no more.
Wonder what will become of the secert witness, since they're intent to destroy the evidence...
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