FEDERAL RCMP COMMISSIONER APPROVED LEGISLATURE RAID

VANCOUVER - The RCMP in B.C. sought the written approval of the top Mountie
in Canada before conducting a raid on the B.C. legislature last December,
documents obtained from a federal Access to Information request show. A
government of Canada document marked with the security classification
Protected B contains the signature of RCMP Commissioner Giuliano
Zaccardelli. It was signed on Dec. 23, 2003. The raids, part of an
continuing drug, corruption and proceeds of crime investigation, occurred
Dec. 28, 2003.

A second document, marked RCMP and also stamped Protected B, details RCMP
policy that requires the approval of the commissioner in advance of a
search within the precincts of Parliament or a provincial legislature. The
RCMP document, dated Dec. 23, 2003, obtained by Canadian Press is signed by
Supt. Peter German, director-general, financial crime.

Both documents show the investigation that led to the legislature raid and
other arrests in Victoria, Vancouver and Toronto was code named Every Which
Way. The government of Canada document reveals the series of steps the
Mounties took prior to requesting Zaccardelli's permission to conduct the
legislature raid.

"The background material included in this package include the informations
to obtain search warrants [which have already been approved by Crown
counsel], a three-page briefing note from E Division outlining the
background of the case which commenced in 2002 and which provides rationale
for proceeding with searches pursuant to proceeds of crime and corruption,"
says the letter to Zaccardelli from Garry Loeppky, deputy commissioner
operations.

RCMP spokesman John Ward said RCMP policy requires the commissioner's
approval prior to any police investigation inside a provincial legislature
or Parliament.

"We have to go through that protocol if we are going to enter any
Parliament buildings for a criminal investigation," he said. "For us to be
able to go in there and do our work in conducting investigations we have to
get the authorization of the commissioner to do that."