Monday, January 14, 2008

Basi-Virk delayed yet again - until January 28

In an all-too familiar move, the pre-trial hearing on the BC Legislature Raid case has been adjourned yet again - this time until January 28.

I was unable to attend BC Supreme Court at 10 a.m. but the session was so short that there wouldn't be much more to report here even if I did.

The Vancouver Sun's Neal Hall was there and reports that Justice Elizabeth Bennett gave Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino until this Friday to respond to a defence request regarding documents connected to the BC Rail privatization.

Hall says Bennett told the defence and Crown she is prepared to sit "as long as we need to" on January 28 and 29 to resolve disclosure issues.

The trial is scheduled to begin on March 17 but an appeal by the Special Prosecutor over Bennett's ruling that the defence could be in court to hear testimony from a secret witness could - guess - delay it again.

UPDATE - January 15

I've just learned that the BC Supreme Court session will begin at 9 a.m., not the usual 10 a.m., and may go late as well.

Justice Bennett is apparently intent on resolving the disclosure issues in this two-day session.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is becoming a long grind for sure.WE do hope the Judge keeps the crown in the room till something gets done.

Anonymous said...

As Basigate draws on, imagine if one of the three sides suffered an illness, retirement or death.
This is not a fantasy, as four years becomes five or six . . . someone has to pass-on.
Maybe Gordo's plan is to let Mother Nature do the ultimate stone-walling.

Budd Campbell said...

I still have the same question as always. Has Prosecutor Berardino provided any kind of rationale or explanation at all as to why Bornmann has not been charged with offering a bribe? Will he be expected to at some point by Judge Bennett, or by anyone who can persuade him to tell us all the reason for this curious ommission.

Anonymous said...

This travesty of justice is/will be our future if we don't all get out in the streets and protest, like NOW! Gordo's interference in OUR justice system and the many fascist delays in BC's biggest scandal in history involving organized crime, Fed Liberals and who knows maybe OUR SCBC , National and regional police force? All these secret meetings? These thugs are elected and grossly over paid by us!
BC Rail is a very intrical part of the SPP, NAU, NWO etc as is the Gateway Project!
Where is OUR media Canned Waste?

Anonymous said...

Budd's point is a good one. In her decision of June 4th, Justice Bennett requested that the Special Prosecutor answer all questions relating to the Erik Bornmann deal.

No idea if this issue has been dealt with or if this is the reason why the defence has filed yet another disclosure application.

Anonymous said...

I see there are nice comments from Asper media's Mike Smyth (Province) and Paul Willcocks (Times-Colonist) and the newly purchased Asper journalist, Sean Holman. I guess these three journalists lack the guts or the brains to see the truth and/or write about it. They'd rather keep their cushy jobs, repeating media hype on the "fast ferry fiasco", instead writing about the mich bigger fiasco--the convention building overruns. At least all Island people ride ferries, but hardly anyone will ever even enter the Convention Centre, but will have to pay for it forever. These three scribes are mute on the 1000 (approx.)deaths of children under the Liberals' tenure. Are we to assume that these 3 scribes are social-Darwinists? What do they say about the Crown land given away to Liberal supporthosers? Zip. The millions in our tax-funded grants to Liberal-supporting corporations? The tax cuts to the insanely rich? The giving away of our collective assets to Americans? The dousing of WCB regulations and protections for the workers in this province? Naw, these scribe would rather cater to their lords and masters and tout the Marketplace Dogma, rather than print the truth. Good on you, Bill, for staying true to the truth!