Former lobbyist turned Crown witness offering communications and PR advice
By BILL TIELEMAN, 24 HOURS
A former lobbyist who is now a key Crown witness in the B.C. Legislature Raid corruption trial has opened a new business providing communications and public affairs advice, including “monitoring the provincial legislative agenda”.
But Brian Kieran said in an exclusive interview with 24 hours that he is neither lobbying the B.C. Liberal government nor has any clients with connections to it.
Kieran and Erik Bornmann were partners in Pilothouse Public Affairs, a company whose offices were raided by police in December 2003 at the same time the B.C. Legislature was searched.
Court documents allege that Bornmann and Kieran provided money and benefits to former B.C. ministerial aides David Basi and Bob Virk in exchange for confidential government information about the $1-billion sale of B.C. Rail. Pilothouse had been retained by OmniTRAX, one of the bidders.
Bornmann is also a key Crown witness and neither he, Kieran nor OmniTRAX face any charges, nor have the allegations been proven in court.
Kieran Communications advertises a wide range of services on its website, including media relations, crisis communications and public affairs but Kieran says he is “very much in semi-retirement” and that the firm was set up about a year ago.
“I carry no clients with any connection to the provincial government,” Kieran said in a phone interview from his Pender Island home.
That doesn’t surprise NDP MLA Leonard Krog.
“I’d be astonished if Mr. Kieran was doing business with the government,” Krog said. “I doubt the world will beat a path to his door.”
Kieran says he hopes the trial will begin as planned in the spring.
“I’d love to get into court and tell my side of the story,” he said. “I’ve been waiting to get this all behind me.” Kieran has previously said search warrant information might “lead to assumptions” that would not be made if the full facts were available but has not elaborated.
Kieran also said he has not talked to Bornmann in about five years and has no idea when the trial might begin.
“I haven’t heard from the Crown ever in the case. I’m pretty much in the dark,” he said. “If it goes ahead in the spring I’d be very, very pleased.”
Krog, critic for the Attorney General, blames the B.C. government for the delays in the trial.
“The delay goes right to the government. Production of documents and provision of information is directly this government’s responsibility,” Krog says.
This story appears in 24 hours newspaper and online Thursday October 29, 2009
5 comments:
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He's "communicating" two messages:
1) the Basi Virk trial is getting started in the spring of 2009,
2) the Basi Virk trial is never getting started.
Either way, Brian Kieran seems to see this as the end of the beginning.
Or could it be: the beginning of the end?
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under the heading services, mr. kieran specializes in "intelligence gathering".
i wonder what exactly that entails...?
If he was not involved in the criminal activity why continue to persecute? Seems to me that a piece about how he has been wrongfully tied into a very big mess, and I assume suffered unfairly from it, would give you fair claim to balanced reporting on the scandal.
TIELEMAN NOTE: This is an edited post - I have removed potential libelous material for obvious reasons - though the anonymous poster will surely disagree.
* * * *
To Anonymous 12:10
You should go back and read the documents released by the court. Kieran admits to XXXXXXX.
Now the interesting part will come when/if he gets on the stand. What will he say?? Who will he blame - thats the important question.
XXXXXX!!
I can't wait to hear his side of the story.
I had thought that Kieran retired?
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