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| Bill Tieleman & David Basi outside court |
As has so often been the case in the Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid case, a hearing date changed and many observers were unaware until too late that the Tuesday 2 p.m. previously scheduled time was moved to Monday at 2 p.m.
As readers here know, there has been some controversy around this issue, with RCMP Superintendent Kevin Debruyckere telling me exclusively last year that return of disclosure evidence is standard practice and that it would be retained for 10 to 12 years - long enough for any public inquiry to access it.
Others strongly doubt that and fear it would be destroyed, making an inquiry useless.
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28 comments:
How much will the lawyers charge for this absolute waste of court time.
Let the media and defence have the documents and end the boondoggle that will go over $20 million.
This continued foolishness over scheduling suggests the Supreme Court of BC has paid zero attention to Chief Justice Beverly McLachlan's calls for more openness within the court system.
The justice system should serve the collective people not treat them as unwelcome enemies.
The Supreme Court of BC is badly serving the citizens of Canada and is doing it quite deliberately.
OFF TOPIC
I know I am objectively correct in stating, with emphasis, that only Bill Tieleman has consistently reported in these matters with superb integrity, even though, there were times I wondered if his open NDP pedigree was what was driving him. Tieleman, to his great credit, has stayed away from idle speculation and instead, taken a ton of time away from his beloved Shirley and their daughter Erin, to cover the raid and trial with purpose and principle .
Bill Tieleman could have gone much harder on Gordon Campbell, personally, and his government, but didn’t. It spoke volumes to me about Bill’s character (which I was already aware of) and his ability to separate, as difficult as it might be for any of us, his political charge with his journalistic ethics. - Alex G. Tsakumis
Wow! These lieberal trolls must sit on this blog just to get the first post. "Anonymous", as usual, wants everything to halt in the BC Rail fiasco. I want the opposite: I want a full investigation and explanation of the role of Christy Clark, her husband and brother, Kinsella, the RCMP and the people who bribed our public officials. Why haven't charges been filed.
I also want an explanation of the role of judges in this case and why court dates are changed without due notice.
Its just bizarre and we need to get to the bottom of it to restore trust in the democratic process.
If Christy Cluck Cluck Clark becomes Preem the files will undoubtedly be destroyed. Having said that I trust none of the LIbERalS to do what the law says. I believe the plan is to destroy them and I belive Gordo SCampbell is behind the request.
The only advise I can give, knowing how gordo and his fellow criminals think....MAKE COPIES!
Recall the all!
Kam Lee
The Crown Prosecutor is arguing that these documents are "no longer required".
Ms. Witheringham - there are a variety of calls for a public inquiry here.
Of course these documents are required!!!
And Kam Lee offers horrid advice.
Should this application to destroy the evidence be approved, even duplicates won't stand up in any future court case. Once the original documents are eradicated under the aegis and urging of our "unerring Crown", the possession of duplicates, no matter how they were obtained, would be a criminal offense!
@Anonymous 4:01:
The boondoggle is already well over $2 billion and counting, and that's not even including the damage to the economies of the Interior towns caused by CN's changes to service.....or the amount of moolah that Campbell and his cronies will get from the directorships and other golden-thank-you's that can be expected once he's out of office.
Bill, isn't it a conflict of interest for the Crown to be in charge of evidence, given that the conduct - or rather misconduct - of the Crown is going to be one of the main issues that the public inquiry is going to address?
Gee. Alex, where were you during the trial? Word is you didn't even bother spending one day in court, not during the preliminary evidence hearings, and not during the trial itself.....you're doing quite a bit of grandstanding over materials the rest of us knew existed, and what were in them, long before there was a peep out of you and your blog. Now you're trying to take credit for things that other blogs have said, and are known for attacking those other blogs, just as you have attacked Bill just now.....
Where is wikileaks when we need it? Maybe someone has taken the initiative already, by accident of course. We follow the law, unlike the crooks who installed Campbell (he really isn't that smart to have orchestrated much, if any, of this.)
Someone on Falcon's staff said on CKNW on Sunday that an Inquiry is necessary if just to let Christy "clear her name".
Oh, for F**ks sake, try to get along. The elephant in the room is....much bigger than all of us combined. Its Gordy and his minions, or more to to the point, his handlers and 'little him'. This is MUCH BIGGER than Gordon Campbell - which will be evident IF we manage to get a Public Inquirey. But don't hold your breath - Alex, Bill, Norm, Laila BC Mary, Russ etc COMBINED are mere Davids in this battle that has yet to be properly identified.
Somebody should explain to your colleague Neal Hall that it was $750 million, not $1 billion, unless I'm mistaken.
Which is possible.
I was under the impression that $250 million was for BCR's tax losses, which would be assumable if the CNR PURCHASED BCR. But Sly Gordon only LEASED it to them! What a trickster! True to his word "I will not sell BC Rail" cost us another quarter billion ++++ PLUS INTEREST (9% ?) I wonder if he'll get House Arrest less a day when he gets his due?
I know the rules, said it in jest.
But... Recall them all (Lieberals)!
Kam Lee
AGT is a grandstanding liar.
In his last post AGT claims he ripped up his membership to the BC Liberals in 2005...Explain how he donated money to the BC Liberals in June 2006?
Click my name for proof...AGT added nothing, no new discovery, no new names...except one name...His own bloated effinngg name..AGT
BC Liberal wanna-be HACK!
Off Topic - Sorry. But what's happened to Laila? Wordpress says her blog is now private?!??
terminalcitygirl
Friends - I have allowed some comments here that others might have rejected but I believe in free speech so long as it is not obscene or actionable.
I have not commented on Alex Tsakumis and his blog or his coverage of the "memos to file" of David Basi, which he exclusively obtained.
Alex and I had a serious falling out some time ago - I'm not interested in recounting or publicizing the details - but I regret that our friendship ended very acrimoniously.
Despite that - and despite some disparaging comments about me on his blog - Alex has also said kind words about my coverage of the Basi-Virk case. I very much appreciate that.
Those who follow Basi-Virk and are unaware of his recent coverage can check it out for themselves. I am unable to comment on the documents but they do fit in with much of the arguments made by David Basi and Bob Virk's lawyers in pre-trial hearings and the trial itself.
However I have been prompted to comment because of attacks on Alex made on this blog.
Whatever your opinion of or differences with Alex Tsakumis, he has chosen a difficult road and does not deserve to be castigated for posting the documents he obtained.
I am not in any contest with Alex - I am in pursuit of the truth about the BC Legislature Raid.
If the Basi "memos to file" help illuminate the truth, so much the better.
John Aghast is correct - the need for a public inquiry is paramount and essential for the political health of this province we share.
If you haven't already joined my new Facebook group - Basi-Virk public inquiry - please go there and sign up.
Thanks again for everyone who remains interested in this critical issue.
The Globe and Mail's Mark Hume has an article on today's court session and he also throws in a few quotes from Dave Basi and Bob Virk.
To Terminal City Girl - Laila Yuile has a new redesigned website that is now up at: http://lailayuile.com/
Thanks for the Mark Hume link. Also see see Gary Masons' broader report: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gary_mason/bc-rail-settlement-heats-up-liberal-leadership-campaign/article1857905/
Bill,
According to Robin Mathews' report over at BC Mary's, the next court appearance is January 16, yet Neal Hall reported February 16.
I'll be interested to see which is the correct date.
ANON 11:04 - the Sun's Neal Hall, the Province's Keith Fraser and the Globe's Mark Hume all report today that the next hearing is February 16, not January 16 as Robin Mathews has it.
Given this and that January 16 is a Sunday, I'd go with February 16.
Doesn't anyone find it odd that both Basi and Virk want the documents back and the BC Government hasn't offered an opinion?
Thanks Bill. I see it now. I thought I had changed my settings but there must have been a hiccup.
Thanks a bunch.
terminalcitygirl
I have to say Bill. You are the most fair and honerable person, I have ever come across.
If the BCR documents are no longer relevant. Why is the Crown in such a panic, to get them? Perhaps the defense should play a Martyn Brown and say, they don't remember where they put them. After all, turn-a-bout is fair play. It would be interesting, what the judge would say.
Campbell, the BC Liberals, the judicial system, the RCMP, have no code of ethics. There will never be, until this corrupt BC Liberal party, is no more.
"RonS said...
If Christy Cluck Cluck Clark becomes Preem the files will undoubtedly be destroyed. Having said that I trust none of the LIbERalS to do what the law says. I believe the plan is to destroy them and I belive Gordo SCampbell is behind the request."
So right, after all it isn't as if Campbell didn't order e-mails destroyed that had been tagged as potentially relevant to the BC Rail Case during the last election! Nixon was forced out of office for less!
It seems the tyranny of Campbell and the BC Liberals, towards the people, will never cease.
Campbell ordered the e-mails, regarding his fraudulent sale of the BCR, wiped out, I'm sure the documents will be shredded too. We can't trust the Crown. Nor the judicial system. And for sure not, the RCMP. Campbell, minded his corrupt sale of the BCR, from start to finish. Campbell is a criminal, and should be in prison as such. And so should the corrupt judges, and everyone else, who participated in this corrupt charade. Everyone involved, is a disgrace to their profession. They should be paying the penalty, for their corruption, and not the, good, decent citizens of BC.
A generous comment by Bill T at 9:37.
People who care about ethics and honesty in government should not forget the words of the old folk song, 'Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.'
We should pay attention to the content of the message, not its carrier. Tsakumis is contributing materially to the public debate. That is vital and I applaud him.
The blog world would gain credibility with new people if we put an end to personal attacks. Add them to other deleted garbage and move on.
The blog world would gain credibility with new people if we put an end to personal attacks. Add them to other deleted garbage and move on.
Agree there. Some of the personal attacks from both left wing and right wingers here are getting to be excessive. Let's just stick to debating facts and base our debates on credible facts and not on personal attacks on anyone nor the politicians.
But that will only happen after one major event if it ever does.
after the NDP wins the next election.
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