Well-known Victoria developers charged

[VicHockeyFan]

Edit: Sorry, the charges were laid some time ago, the thread title should read "...to stand trial..."

CFAX:

DEVELOPERS TO STAND TRIAL IN ALLEGED SOOKE HOUSING PROJECT

Jul 2, 2008

TWO VANCOUVER ISLAND DEVELOPERS --CHARGED WITH BREACH OF TRUST AND FRAUD IN CONNECTION TO THE 2003 RAID ON THE BC LEGISLATURES--HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL.

JUSTICE ERNIE QUANTZ HAS ORDERED TONY YOUNG AND JIM DUNCAN TO FACE THE CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO AN APPLICATION TO REMOVE LAND FROM THE AGRICULTURAL LAND RESERVE IN SOOKE.

THE CHARGES STEM FROM THE ALLEGED 50-THOUSAND DOLLAR BRIBERY OF DAVID BASI, THE ASSISTANT TO THEN FINANCE MINISTER GARY COLLINS.

THE CROWN ALLEGES BASI TOOK A BRIBE FROM YOUNG AND DUNCAN IN CONNECTION TO AN APPLICATION TO REMOVED LAND FROM THE A-L-R FOR THE SUNRIVER ESTATES IN SOOKE.

BASI ALSO FACES FRAUD AND BREACH OF TRUST.



Four charges each: http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/court...Court_List.pdf

[spanky123]

Was wondering what ever happened to this.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Bernard]

Dave Basi plead guilty to accepting $50,000 for this - still very odd to me as I am trying to understand how the guy giving him the money thought he could make any difference to the process.

[Sparky]

Wow, I wonder how much of the taxpayer's money was spent on this during the last 6 years?

[victorian fan]

Originally Posted by Sparky

Wow, I wonder how much of the taxpayer's money was spent on this during the last 6 years?

And it looks like it's going to cost millions more.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1762012/

[rjag]

Something not smelling right about this guilty plea. There needs to be a public enquiry

[Bernard]

Originally Posted by rjag

Something not smelling right about this guilty plea. There needs to be a public enquiry

What do you think would come out of a public enquiry? It will cost a lot of money and will not answer any more questions.

[spanky123]

After 7 years nobody cared any more. There won't be any public enquiry and the whole matter will be forgotten shortly.

If they haven't already, I suspect that Tony Young and his partner will accept a slap on the wrist as well now that Basi has pled guilty.

Hard to get much satisfaction from a trial when both the prosecution and the defence want the matter to go away.

[eseedhouse]

Originally Posted by spanky123

After 7 years nobody cared any more.

Anyone interested in seeing that justice be done cares, believe me. Those who don't want to see justice done to their side, however...

[rjag]

Originally Posted by Bernard

What do you think would come out of a public enquiry? It will cost a lot of money and will not answer any more questions.

The truth perhaps.

[Rob Randall]

Dave Basi was a high school friend of mine. No matter what you think of him, this trial has gone on far too long.

[Bernard]

The "Truth" is not something that exists. Public enquiries are political processes created to either deflect an issue or to crucify someone. They are about everything but finding out what happened.

If you want to know what happened, it is the media that should be telling us. There is no trial so those limitations are gone. Dave Basi and Bobby Virk plead guilty so there is no problem with libel in investigating and reporting on the issue.

[spanky123]

Originally Posted by eseedhouse

Anyone interested in seeing that justice be done cares, believe me. Those who don't want to see justice done to their side, however...

Obviously some people care. My point was that the media and public interest have moved on. Prior to today, if you were to poll the public and ask what issues mattered to them most, I would suprised if 1% mentioned the trial as a concern.

In my opinion the goal from the start was to delay the trial as long as possible and then settle before anything uncomfortable happened. Mission accomplished.

[Bernard]

In talking with Dave over the years when I rented from him, he insisted he was not going to let the case be dropped because he would be vindicated and then he would take down the people that caused this to happen to him.

Interestingly it was only Indo-Canadians that were charged with anything, not the white lobbyists that actually instigated the crime by offering the inducements. Make of that what you want.

[spanky123]

I think I heard on CFAX this afternoon that the Government was picking up the tab for all of Basi and Virk's legal fees.

[spanky123]

Originally Posted by Bernard

In talking with Dave over the years when I rented from him, he insisted he was not going to let the case be dropped because he would be vindicated and then he would take down the people that caused this to happen to him.

Interestingly it was only Indo-Canadians that were charged with anything, not the white lobbyists that actually instigated the crime by offering the inducements. Make of that what you want.

Tony Young and Jim Duncan are white. There is no doubt in my mind that discrimination exists in our society but lets not place the race card on this one.

Dave is a smart guy. Although he may have told you he wanted to get even, he knows that keeping his mouth shut and taking his lumps are what make sense in the long run.

[Bernard]

Actually I was only meaning that to refer to the BC Rail case. I always wondered how the people offering benefits could get away with it.

[Lorenzo]

Originally Posted by spanky123

I think I heard on CFAX this afternoon that the Government was picking up the tab for all of Basi and Virk's legal fees.

And no doubt his $75,000.00 fine as well. Take one for the team Dave, we'll look after you.