Three stories showed up on my radar today that come together to form a sinking feeling in my gut. First off, the Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP Gary Bass retired very quietly on March 13. The rest of the world had their eyes averted to horrors in Japan. DC Bass had a long history with the RCMP, as outlined in a letter to the Deputy Commish composed by Robin Mathews, dated Feb. 13, 2011. He posted the letter
here. It is rather long, but stick with it, as it pretty much tells the long and sordid history of Bass as a microcosm of what is wrong with the RCMP and what is so very fishy in the Province of BC. I saw this news and promptly forgot about it, as the horror rolled in from Asia and North Africa..
Then this morning suddenly, Gordon Campbell retired as MLA of Point Grey. My first reaction was one of great satisfaction, that the evil Corporatist had finally and really stepped down. Pale caught the mood perfectly, I thought with
this. You may think to yourself, well no, he resigned back on Nov. 3, 2010, as reported in the
Globe and Mail. Well, he announced it then, but didn’t step down for 4 1/2 months. Unlike Danny Williams, beloved Premier of Newfoundland, who gave 6 days notice when he retired. Not Campbell, he had some loose ends to tie up. Some more evidence to bury before he made his getaway.
Late this afternoon, Bill Tieleman broke the astonishing story that the BC Supreme Court has ordered the Defence in the BC Rail/organised crime Trial to give up all it’s evidence to the RCMP for destruction.
More than one million pages of Crown evidence disclosed to defence lawyers for convicted former B.C. government ministerial aides David Basi and Bob Virk has been ordered returned to police for destruction…
Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie ruled in a decision released Tuesday that documents disclosed – including RCMP files, B.C. Liberal MLA emails and cabinet meeting information – must be returned by defence lawyers to police or the Special Prosecutor for destruction.
Gary Bass was in charge during the Gustafsun Lake fiasco, the botched Picton Trial, the disasterous Dziekantski killing at YVR, as written in the
National Post about his (Bass) disgraceful non-apology to the mother of the victim after his officers were caught on tape tasering Dziekanski to death.
The proof? Bass’s own emails to another member of the force, where he assures his colleague not to worry about the word apology, since he doesn’t really mean it.The email, obtained under an Access to Information request by the Vancouver Sun, reveals that the day before Bass went before the cameras and told Dziekanski’s mother how sorry the RCMP was, he was saying something very different indeed to a colleague:
“Even though the word ‘apology’ worries some, we are not apologizing for the actions of specific members or saying anything about specific actions. I am apologizing for the loss of her son and where the [RCMP Commissioner] says we could have done better, from my perspective, that relates to the fact we had to revise our policy and training…. Let me know if I can explain any further as it is important the membership gets the right message as to what we are trying to do [here].”
He presided over the investigation into the BC Rail case as well. Considering all of that, the surprising thing is that Mr. Bass lasted so long in such a position of power.
Except that they, and by they, I mean Gordon Campbell, Gary Collins, Judith Reid, Christy Clark, Geoff Plante and all of the people behind them, they needed Gary Bass to remain in his position, in order to block and stonewall any requests or demands to open any further investigation of criminal behavior by those people.
Today they all got thier wish. Madame Justice Anne MacKenzie tied it all up with a nice bow to deliver all that nasty, incriminating evidence to the very same police force that failed to investigate the criminals in this case and instead delivered two scapegoats to wear it. Despite numerous calls for a full public inquiry by the Opposition, by Robin Mathews, Bill Tieleman,
BC Mary,
Ian Reid and many others, to numerous to mention.
According to Mr. Tieleman, Basi’s lawyer, Micheal Bolton commented,
“I think it forecloses any public disclosure of these documents, short of an application to the judge,” Bolton said.
When asked if he and his client will turn over the documents, Bolton answered: “Absolutely – everyone must comply with the order.”
But Bolton said if a public inquiry were to be called by the government, the material would be made available to a Commissioner.
“If there were a public inquiry that would be a different ball game,” he said. Bolton added that no one, including media outlets, was restricted for applying to obtain the evidence disclosed to the defence.
B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark has to date rejected all calls for such an inquiry.
So why has no-one applied to obtain the evidence we all want to see so badly? Or have they applied, and been ignored by Gary Bass, Justice MacKenzie and Mike de Jong? We know that some material was released to the Globe and Mail, but they failed to disclose fully what they received, choosing instead to cherry pick tidbits to feed the public. More of a non disclosure if anything. As go the editorial staff at the G&M, so go the corporate Media in this Province as a whole. Just like a perfectly trained, goose stepping military squad on a parade square.
Somebody has to apply for disclosure NOW! Campbell cannot get away with this, if he does, we are lost. We will suffer the consequences of this theft forever…and Christy Clark will smile that sickening, shark-like grin of a predator just before it attacks. She will smile that same smile as she renews the RCMP contract and delays an election until the incriminating material is really gone.
This is not my BC.
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A bright, useful summary, Kim. I can almost read your eagerness to sink your teeth into somebody’s ankle. Me too.
Would you mind if I scoop it (intact)to repost at my place? I’ve just had such a sad, wounded comment from a citizen who loves British Columbia and has given up hope, with this latest round of … well, official insults.
I know the feeling: exhaustion + imagined defeat. I always thought that my 4 years of blogwork would be finished when the BC Rail Political Corruption Trial was complete. After Oct. 18, 2010, when MacKenzie simply slammed the BCSC doors shut and virtually told us to “F. off”, I was days and days, reviving the old determination to press on.
I’m pleased to say the deterimation does come back — perhaps even honed more sharply. Because, well, we dare not give up. That’s all there is to it. And who has the final say? We, the citizens of this province. (And I don’t think many people are so fortunate as to have such a dramatically-beautiful province to cherish, eh?)
Your column today is good evidence of the issues, and the need to call upon our reserves of dedication. Thanks, Kim.
Excellent post, Kim – Good job . . . .
[...] BC is attempting to continue the BC Rail cover-up by ordering the defence at the corruption trial to destroy all documents [...]
Thank you for this info. It is all so sickening that Gary Bass will retire unscathed and likely with a big fat pension. And all the other are scot-free. I despair.
how can this destruction of evidence be stopped?
it’s nice to see christie has come out with her “families first” strategy. how about the hundreds of families that lost their jobs and livelihoods, homes etc. with the sale of bc rail to cn. how about putting these families first and call a public inquiry into the whole mess and compensate them properly for loosing their jobs due to a criminal act. anybody know a good class action lawyer?