Every Which Way But Loose

WideningTheWeb
LedgeVille

(Please remember folks.......Information In the search warrant quoted below has NOT yet been proven, or disproven, in a court of law)


Ever wonder why Mr. David Basi became a person of interest for RCMP Corporal A.T. Cowan in the first place?

Well, according to one of the edited search warrants released today (pdf) it was because of 'The Project':

"....on or about October 07, 2003 I (Cpl. Cowan) became actively involved in RCMP Island District Druc Section investigation identified as Project 'Everywhichway' hereinafter referred to as the Project. My Project duties were the monitoring of telephone intercepts relating to named target Udhe Singh (David) Basi......

{snip}

...... These Authorizations (for wiretaps) included BASI's residence, BC Government office, and BC Government cellular telephones, as well as BASI's home computer internet account....."

{snip}

These Authorizations included several other identified targets and relate to investigations in the following alleged criminal offences: drugs, proceeds of crime, conspiracy and breach of trust."

In other words, originally the police were not looking for potential bribes in exchange for insider information on BC Rail but instead they were looking at any potential involvement in drug deals and other sundry crimes. To whit:

".....the criminal investigation of BASI initially concerned proceeds of crime and corruption."

But all that changed very quickly when Spiderman entered the picture:

".....during the investigation, Erik BORNMAN (B: 1976-05-20), hereinafter referred to as BORNMAN, an associate of BASI's became a person of interest. BORNMAN is a partner with a Victoria and Vancouver based lobby firm known as Pilothouse Public Affairs Group, hereinafter, and commonly referred to as Pilothouse. He had contact with BASI and received information and documents from BASI in exchange for payments which were made to Aneal Basi for forwarding to (David) BASI."


So, one of the big questions in the coming weeks and months will be - what turned Mr. Bornman? Again from the warrant:

".... Erik Bornman is a witness in the investigation. Mr. Bornman has provided the RCMP with information with respect to this investigation which I believe to be true and correct."


And whatever became of 'The Project' you may be asking? Well.....

".....due to the complexity of the investigation and the Project, facts are still being gathered."


That was Sept 2004. We sure are looking forward to finding out where it has all gone since.

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All information in brackets above is ours, except for Mr. Bornman's DOB which is remarkably close to the proprietor of Public Eye. Which jogged our memories about both once being members of the UVIC Young Liberals at, we presume, approximately the same time. David Basi and Robert Virk were also members of the same Kewl Kids Club and it appears that perhaps Cpl. Cowan was wondering about those times too (from the warrant one last time: OTHER SEARCH WARRANT APPLICATIONS: 56. That on January 29, 2004, a search warrant was executed at the University of Victoria relating to the student records of BASI and Bob Virk).

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