POLITICAL AIDE FACES NEW DRUG CHARGES

Victoria Police Arrest Marshall Kendric Smith For Second Time In
Month

VICTORIA - A suspended ministerial assistant in the provincial
government has been arrested in Victoria on drug charges for the
second time in less than a month.

Marshall Kendric Smith, who went on television to plead his innocence
to the earlier charge, faces two new counts of possessing
methamphetamine and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

He was stopped by Victoria police near the Johnson Street Bridge about
2:45 a.m. Thursday for allegedly committing a number of traffic
violations in the downtown core.

Smith, who was forbidden from being in the area under the conditions
of his release on the earlier charge, was arrested for breaching a
court order, handcuffed, and escorted to the curb.

Victoria police Chief Paul Battershill said officers then searched
Smith and found about 15 grams of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, a
cellular telephone and about $5,000 in cash. Battershill was unable to
say how much crystal methamphetamine was recovered.

The chief said police suspected Smith was under the influence of drugs
at the time of his arrest.

Police arrested a second man who was in the vehicle with Smith at the
time, but he was taken from jail to hospital when police feared he
might be suffering from a drug overdose. But the man escaped from the
hospital, and remained at large Thursday afternoon. Police were
preparing a warrant for his arrest on escape and possibly drug charges.

"The normal procedure in the jail is that if somebody is ill that way,
an ambulance is called and they are transported under guard to the
hospital," Battershill said. "It can be difficult to guard people in
hospital for various reasons, including the fact that they are
receiving treatment. It appears he took advantage of that."

Battershill said the man escaped by "running like crazy."

Battershill said he did not believe the second man was a government
employee. "They probably would have told me [if he was], and they
didn't," Battershill said.

Smith, 31, made a brief court appearance Thursday afternoon charged
with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession
of crystal methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, and three
counts of breach of recognizance. He entered the courtroom and
immediately took a seat in the prisoner's box. He whispered briefly to
his lawyer, but said nothing to the court during the appearance and
was remanded in custody until July 20.

Battershill told a media conference immediately following the court
appearance that the arrest stemmed from a routine traffic stop and
that Smith was not being targeted by police.

Battershill said he called a press conference to announce the arrest
because of Smith's "high profile" and because of the media attention
surrounding his arrest earlier this month.

"He [Smith] certainly went to the media following that and outlined
his view of the circumstances," Battershill said. "And the officers
aren't in a position to do that, but I certainly am and I'm prepared
to say what happened."

Battershill said the alternative would be to let the news leak out
over the next three or four days.

"It's probably a better way to do it this way," he said. "I mean,
we're not trying to pillory Mr. Smith, and we certainly weren't
targeting him."