DecisionsVille
As we've discussed previously, Sean Holman first informed us that it was the B.C. Liberal government's minister of 'Everything' at the time, Rich Coleman, who decided to dismantle IGET in 2009:
According to Mr. Coleman himself, in an interview with Sean Holman in 2010, (see video above) the good minister in charge was the person who actually, himself, made the decision to dismantle the integrated 'illegal gambling enforcement team' (IGET) in 2009.
In that interview Mr. Coleman initially tells Mr. Holman that the dismantling occurred because IGET wasn't working. When Mr. Holman informs Mr. Coleman that he possesses government paper that indicates his (i.e. Coleman's) ministry was concerned about the IGET budget, Mr. Coleman pivots slightly and states:
"I had a team that wasn't working (i.e. in 2009) and it was costing the taxpayers money. I decided to do it differently and get better results."
****
That was then...
But what do we know now about how things turned out after Mr. Coleman decided to 'do it differently'?
Well, according to Global's Sam Cooper former Gambling Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) head Len Meilleur told the Cullen Inquiry the following today:
"The police had been absent (in casinos) for almost 8 years after IIGET departed," he (Meilleur) says. "Our best chance of success was to work directly with police."
So.
What did the police tell the GPEB (and the BCLC) in the ensuing years?
Well, again, according to Global's Sam Cooper:
Gosh.
Large cash transactions that weren't being paid attention to?
Hmmmmm....
Would such a thing be one of the results of a decision to do things differently if, perhaps, said cash arrived at the casinos in, say, hockey bags?
.
11 comments:
Lets see how many years from 2009 to 2021, all that time, all that money. You wonder how every one is doing these days with all that money and exactly who all the players were and are.
Loved the hockey bag reminder. That is how we tell if you're from B.C. and politically aware: you ask how much money in $20s fit into a hockey bag?
$750K. You gott a love it,. I can remember a time, when B.C. politics was referred to as the wild west, must have been an article back in the early 70s or late 60s. Not much has changed except our ages and in my opinion the depravity of it all.
If it hadn't been so criminal and soul destroying, this would have all been a good laugh. Unfortunately it turned our province into a hell hole. I think the news yesterday reported fent. deaths had increased by 74% from the 2019 to 2020. Some one has to be held to account and changes have to be made. China certainly isn't B.C.'s friend because these sums of money could not be floating around without the Chinese government's knowledge and/or blessing, in my opinion,
In order to make a determination that IGET “wasn’t working”, Mr. Coleman would need to know that there was a problem the team was not effectively addressing. Hopefully he will inform the Cullen Inquiry just what that problem was, how he knew about it, and why he was filing annual reports to the Legislature during this period that omitted it.
BC is a banana republic if they dont call certain people of interest to the inquiry?
Follow the money. It seems to me that there are only two explanations: The Liberals were desperate for gaming tax revenue or someone was paid off. The usual incompetence defense doesn't work as the lack of enforcement was so transparently deliberate. The former seems a bit of a stretch as gaming revenue constitutes such a small part of government revenue. The latter is more likely. Hopefully, the inquiry will answer determine who/how many/how. Was it political party donations or more personal?
in other states its called corruption?
CC: or someone was paid off
or someone was blackmailed
NVG, now blackmailed is a new one and if I had to vote between some one being paid off or black mail, I'd vote black mail. some of those boys and girls most likely had interesting lives which they may not have wanted to "share" with friends, family, spouses, the public. Guess it would be too much to ask if we could have a betting pool give that is the problem, but we shall see what happens with the Cullen inquiry.
By the way, give we have COVID and all that, is there a way to watch the inquiry on line or something. Its just that the impeachment trial is over, there is not much on t.v. and sometimes its just nice to have something different to watch. Just asking.
Live testimony here:
https://cullencommission.ca/webcast-live/
Schedule here:
https://cullencommission.ca/schedule/
As to Sam Cooper's "Evidence email RCMP Calvin Chrustie ...." just a snippet of a backgrounder https://interventisglobal.com/calvin-chrustie
"... Calvin served 33 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a Senior Operations Officer. He specialized in complex transnational organized crime investigations, kidnap/extortion negotiations, crisis and conflict management. He has extensive experience in intelligence operations and international investigations with transnational organized crime networks, including those affiliated with state actors. ......."
Ok any hockey bag we take right away..anything else a little longer ?
Theyre Cnadaian they wont notice its in a hockey bag?
A. at 6:25 p.m. made me laugh! The number of men who have hockey bags in the back of their vehicles is directly corresponded to the number of those who have domestic units who will not permit said hockey bags in the living quarters.
Even I, a non hockey player or even skater, in my later years, had a hockey bag in my vehicle while travelling. It held several pieces of luggage in one bag and thus made it easier to transport. Said hockey bag also could be placed against a door handle to ensure unwanted people did no enter a room. Hockey bags just have so many uses, but to be a true B.C.er you know it holds $750K. I'm working on that one now.
About a year ago Empty Wheel had a "contest" where people could submit methods of money laundering via a golf club. It was fun.
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