HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html
Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Section: Page A6 Copyright: 2004, The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Mark Hume RUMOURS IN WAKE OF B.C. RAID 'DEVASTATING' VANCOUVER -- Several people caught in the vortex of a police investigation that became public a week ago when two B.C. Legislature offices were searched, defended themselves yesterday in a bid to repair the damage caused by an information vacuum filled with rumours. Details of the 20-month investigation into drug smuggling and money laundering have been obscured by sealed search warrants, a lack of charges and by veiled comments from police, worried about jeopardizing the investigation. "It's been devastating just dealing with it over the past week," said Mark Marissen, campaign chairman for Prime Minister Paul Martin's leadership bid in British Columbia. Mr. Marissen was drawn into the scandal when he was visited by police seeking documents. Police had served search warrants at several locations, including on the offices of David Basi, an assistant to B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Bob Virk, an assistant to Transportation Minister Judith Reid. But Mr. Marissen said his premises were not searched. He was given a letter from police explaining that they believed he was the innocent recipient of documents they wanted to see. Media reports that stated documents were "seized" from his home office were incorrect, he said, and unfairly indicated he was not assisting police. "Basically they came to my home and they described what the situation was and they described, sort of, the kinds of documents that they thought that I might be in possession of. The words they used in the letter they gave me was that I may be the innocent recipient of such documents," Mr. Marissen said. "I did the search of the documents and then I gave them documents that I thought would be helpful." He said police asked him not to describe the documents they were looking for, even though he would "love" to get the details out. "I can only say . . . the documents did not pertain to the Liberal Party of Canada's or the Paul Martin campaign's fundraising or organizational activities." Mr. Basi, who has been fired because of the police search, and Mr. Virk, who has been suspended without pay, are known as key backroom organizers for the federal and provincial Liberals in B.C. They have a reputation for being able to rapidly build party membership in ridings. Mr. Marissen said the documents police sought from him had nothing to do with recruiting party members. Asked if the documents were political in any way, he replied: "I guess in the really broad sense of the terms you could use the world political. I guess you could. But it would be pretty broad." He said he couldn't elaborate. Mr. Marissen, who is married to Christy Clark, B.C.'s Deputy Premier, was asked if he would like details of the case to come out so that the air could be cleared. "Yeah. Absolutely," he said. Brian Kieran, who along with Erik Bornman is a co-director of Pilot House Public Affairs Group, has also been working to maintain his reputation following the police investigation. Pilot House offices were searched in Victoria and Vancouver about the same time police raided the offices of Mr. Basi and Mr. Virk. "We told everyone who asked that we had been made aware of the concerns that these circumstances had raised. We do not fully understand all the issues at this time. We are collecting further information and will be discussing it with our advisers. And that is all we can say at this time," Mr. Kieran said. He apologized for not being able to discuss the situation more fully. Shinder Purewal, a political science lecturer at Simon Fraser University and leading contender to become the federal Liberal candidate in Vancouver-South Burnaby, found himself answering questions about the scandal yesterday, even though he has not been visited by police. "They haven't even called me," he said. But reporters have. It has been rumoured that Mr. Purewal took over the constituency organization in Liberal MP Herb Dhaliwal's riding, only because of organizing support from Mr. Basi and Mr. Virk. But Mr. Purewal denied that yesterday, saying he only knows the two men in passing and that they have not worked on his campaign. In a briefing yesterday, Victoria Police Chief Paul Battershill reconfirmed that the legislature raids were linked to organized crime and drug smuggling. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager