CROWN DROPS CHARGES AGAINST FORMER AIDE

VICTORIA - The Crown has stayed drug charges against former B.C.
government aide Dave Basi.

He was charged with the production of a controlled substance and
possession for the purpose of trafficking.

A stay of proceedings on both charges was entered in a Victoria court
last Friday.

Basi's lawyer said Wednesday federal Crown officials dropped the
marijuana charges after meeting the defence team.

"We worked hard with the Department of Justice to ensure that they had
the full picture," said Michael Bolton.

Crown officials decided to enter a stay of proceedings after looking
at what Bolton described as additional materials not originally
available, he said.

Bolton would not reveal the nature of the materials provided by Basi's
defence.

The drug charges were laid in connection with a police search of a
rental home Basi owned at Shawnigan Lake, a community about 20
kilometres north of Victoria.

Basi was an assistant to former finance minister Gary Collins before
being fired from his $67,000-a-year-job after a police raid on the
legislature Dec. 28, 2003.

He is facing several charges in connection with the raid and will go
to trial Nov. 28.

Basi and his brother-in-law, Bob Virk are charged with accepting
benefits, breach of trust and fraud in connection with the
billion-dollar sale of BC Rail.