Thursday, October 27, 2011

FRIDAY: Guilty plea expected from MLA Kash Heed's campaign manager Barinder Sall in 2009 election over-spending case - details here Friday afternoon

Kash Heed & Gordon Campbell in happier times
UPDATE FROM COURT:
Crown & defence agree on $15,000 fine, 200 hrs community service, no jail for Barinder Sall in Kash Heed election overspending case. Judge to rule shortly.

Sall lawyer Richard Peck says Sall now "a pariah" and has "suffered greatly" from publicity in case.

Co-accused Dinesh Khanna in Kash Heed overspending case could be fined $6,000 & 50 hrs community service - judge to rule on plea bargain.

BC Liberal MLA Kash Heed's campaign manager Barinder Sall and mailer Dinesh Khanna are expected to enter guilty pleas on Election Act and Criminal Code offences Friday afternoon in Vancouver Provincial Court, Room 514 in front of Judge J. Galati at 2 p.m. at 222 Main Street in Vancouver - and you can find full coverage here.  [NOTE: I was wrong earlier in saying the case would be at BC Supreme Court.]

Heed, the former solicitor general and ex-West Vancouver police chief, avoided losing his seat but paid a fine of $8,000 for exceeding Election Act spending limits in his narrow win over NDP opponent Gabriel Yiu in the Vancouver-Fraserview riding in the 2009 provincial election.

Heed's campaign was found to have overspent limits by about $4,000 when it printed and distributed a vicious and inaccurate leaflet attacking the BC NDP, claiming it would legalize heroin, cocaine and prostitution.

Heed won by less than 800 votes and despite his admitted Election Act violation was allowed to keep his seat when Elections BC declined to demand his resignation and a by-election.

Still a mystery, as detailed in my 24 hours news story - the $6,000 paid to Sall and election campaign worker Sameer Ismail by Heed's government-funded constituency office in the month following the election.

Heed signed a cheque for $4,000 to Sall and $2,000 to Ismail - but requests to Heed, his lawyer, Elections BC, the Special Prosecutor and Sall and his lawyer for reasons why these cheques were issued were never explained.   Yiu has called for a new investigation by Elections BC into the issue - but so far the organization in charge of elections has not responded.

It is unclear whether that mystery or other significant questions about this political scandal case will be answered in court - but check this blog for the latest!

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4 comments:

North Van's Grumps said...

Thanks for the heads up on this Bill.

Here's some further information. Its not being held in a BC Supreme Court room like it was for the BC Rail Trial...surprise, surprise. Its a Vancouver Provincial Court room setting. No time is mentioned, but if you say its two this afternoon, then I'll accept that. Page 30 of 40 in this document:

http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/court-lists/criminal/lists/Vancouver_Provincial_Court-Provincial_Court_List.pdf

Room: 514 Court Date: 28-OCT-2011
Before The Honourable Judge J Galati

Don't know what the address is, nor is it offered in the link above. I wonder how the AG expects commoners to attend these functions if they don't know how to send out the proper invitations.

North Van's Grumps said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bill Tieleman said...

Thanks North Van Grumps - most appreciated and will correct main article.

Anonymous said...

Don't know what the address is, nor is it offered in the link above. I wonder how the AG expects commoners to attend these functions if they don't know how to send out the proper invitations.

The AG thinks commomrs can use their friend Google to find out.

If commonors know how to blog, they can find a court facility.

Google and/or the telephone book is your friend.