Tsakumis Gives BC Auditor General Tips Where To Look For Documents In Basi-Virk $6 Million Settlement
While the corruption-laden BC Liberals are stonewalling the Auditor General – political blogger Alex Tsakumis, who has been a thorn in the BC Liberals and new Premier Christy Clark’s side, wrote an open letter on his blog (www. alexgtsakumis.com) addressed to Doyle where he blew the lid on the dirty inside dealings by the BC Liberal government players and alleged high corruption all directed by former Premier Gordon Campbell, and the $6 million paid to cover the whole thing up.
By R. Paul Dhillon With News Files
VANCOUVER – B.C. Auditor-General John Doyle has been fighting the Christy Clark government for documents regarding the $6 million paid to lawyers for former BC Liberal insiders Dave Udhe Basi and Bob Virk.
Last week, Doyle headed back to court in a bid to get access to the documents that the government is stonewalling him with.
In July, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Greyell ordered the B.C. attorney-general’s ministry to turn over all records related to the deal.
But in a second petition filed in court this week, Doyle claims that some key documents haven’t been released. And he seeks to have two Victoria lawyers who were appointed to vet the legal bills in the Basi-Virk case provide their records to him.
Doyle says that access to many documents over which the attorney-general’s ministry claims either cabinet or solicitor-client privilege has been restricted.
Documents have either been delayed, edited or not released at all, slowing and hampering the audit process, he says.
After only a few witnesses had been heard at trial, Basi and Virk pleaded guilty to breach of trust in connection with the $1 billion sale of B.C. Rail. They received conditional sentences.
While the corruption-laden BC Liberals are stonewalling the Auditor General – political blogger Alex Tsakumis, who has been a thorn in the BC Liberals and new Premier Christy Clark’s side, wrote an open letter on his blog (www. alexgtsakumis.com) addressed to Doyle where he blew the lid on the dirty inside dealings by the BC Liberal government players and alleged high corruption all directed by former Premier Gordon Campbell, and the $6 million paid to cover the whole thing up.
“You will know that after ten years of gifting friends and insiders, billions of dollars (BC Rail being the most egregious example, closely followed by IPPs) you will find nothing but BC Liberal lickspittles littered in key positions throughout the deal you seek to learn more about. Do not be deceived thinking you’re having a tough time obtaining information key to your investigation of a six million dollar proposition–which we are to believe saw two “criminals” be “punished” (that’s my big joke for today), because of any prudent undertaking by bureaucrats to satisfy solicitor-client privilege or some privacy rules,” Tsakumis tells Doyle.
“To use the patois of the street, that’s bullshit, and the people attempting to stonewall your investigation, are all receiving orders from the Premier herself. Oh, of course, she may not be barking the orders herself (she’s actually quite good at that, barking, I mean) as those demands would be made through surrogates and staffers–many of whom were with her through the sale of BC Rail. Remember, former Attorney General Barry Penner (he quit politics this week) left Cabinet, in part, because during the first Cabinet meeting after your original win in court (whereby you obtained the general set of documents related to the $6 million deal) Ms. Clark, who has clearly lied (what else is new?!) about running an open and transparent government, wanted Mr. Penner to gum up your investigation by immediately launching an appeal.” Tsakumis writes.
“Based on my extensive review of the evidence provided by the RCMP, prosecution and having seen many of the defence motions, had this trial continued, it would have most certainly brought down the current provincial government; likely been the cause of a full inquiry into RCMP misconduct during the investigation phase and resulted in the laying of charges against several key players involved in the sale of BC Rail, for everything from influence peddling, bribery and breach of trust. Senior Cabinet members would have been significantly embarrassed as well as several members of the mainstream media, whose intercepted and exceedingly foolish comments would have been made public. Members of the BC Liberals’ inner sanctum would have been forever shamed, prominent members of Vancouver’s business elite would have been utterly humiliated and noteworthy members of the political bailiwick from British Columbia, that elected Paul Martin leader of the federal Liberal Party and Prime Minister, would still be unable to show their faces in public.
“You might recognize the names of their two most valued operatives in the Indo-Canadian community: David Basi and Robert Virk. In fact, Clark et al, used both men for their extensive networks, inside and outside the Indo-Canadian community,” Tsakumis writes.
“They thought with all the shenanigans they had hatched, through conflicted RCMP investigators and special prosecutors (who were party financial supporters), that both Dave Basi and Bob Virk would never survive a trial and would surely be found guilty as charged, regardless of any defence triumph.
“But a funny thing happened on the way to the salting of the process by Gordon Campbell and his henchmen (if you go to my search bar and type in ‘Basi Files’ you’ll see clear evidence that Gordon Campbell was quarterbacking this whole sham of a process–through the sale and subsequent trial).
In June of 2007, defence counsel for the accused, specifically Joe Doyle (great name, huh?) Kevin McCullough and Michael Bolton, QC, began winning application after application, culminating in a mammoth rebuke of the prosecution by Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett: She found that the crown had not met even BASIC disclosure,” Tsakumis writes.
Tsakumis writes that when the Basi-Virk defence team began rolling like thunder, Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino and his team got nervous and offered their first of numerous failed plea deals where both and Virk were asked to accept two to five years in jail. But defence lawyers laughed in their face and continued to uncover the corruption that reeked deep inside the government. But it was when the noose tightened around Premier Campbell and his henchmen, that’s when they made the $6 million dollar deal and no jail time.
“What do utterly corrupt governments do when they need cover, Mr. Doyle? Who do they call? Who would help them? What would make everything better? What could they do to make everything go away?, questions Tsakumis.
“Good luck, Mr. Doyle. Good luck brave, Sir. Please do the beleaguered people of this province proud. They’re counting on you,” Tsakumis concludes.
Headline on page 29 – When Noose Tightened Around Tainted Premier Campbell And Cronies – That’s When $6 Million Payment Made
