I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG, SAYS BASI

Fired ministerial assistant David Basi has again denied any
wrongdoing, saying Friday that he is unable to comment on specifics of
an investigation that resulted in police raids on both his home and
office in the B.C. legislature.

Basi made the comments in a statement released by his lawyer after a
report that RCMP are investigating whether he was involved in
cross-border drug trafficking and had breached the public trust in his
handling of the province's privatization of B.C. Rail.

The Vancouver Sun story, which also appeared in Friday's Times
Colonist, said the investigation included telephone wiretaps, which
captured conversations that caused police to suspect a scheme
involving the trading of B.C. marijuana for U.S. cocaine. Information
from the taps also prompted the probe of a possible breach of trust in
connection with B.C. Rail, the Sun reported.

In Friday's statement from Basi, issued by his lawyer Chris Considine,
said that "it would be inappropriate and unfair to speculate on what
the police may or may not be investigating.''

The statement said Basi "is unable to comment on any specifics of the
police investigation, as the matter is before the courts, and is the
subject of a sealing order by the Associate Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of British Columbia.''

But it also reiterated that "Mr. Basi states that he has not done
anything wrong and has co-operated fully with the police
investigation. He expects to be completely exonerated.''

Basi, a former ministerial assistant to Finance Minister and Liberal
house leader Gary Collins, has been in the media spotlight since the
Dec. 28 raid on the legislature, which police said was tied to drugs
and organized crime.

Also searched during that raid was the office of Bob Virk, an
assistant to Transportation Minister Judith Reid.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. John Ward points out that police have never named
anybody connected with the investigation. The names were confirmed by
non-police sources.

"To name someone would be inappropriate and not the proper way (for
police) to do things,'' Ward said. "Unfortunately, the names have come
out.''

Ward added that in Canada everybody should be presumed innocent until
proven otherwise.

B.C. Civil Liberties Association president John Russell said Friday
there is a fine line in this sort of case between an individual's
right to privacy and the public's right to know details in a
high-profile case that is tied to the home of the provincial government.

"The key is that it has to be made clear that these are merely
allegations,'' Russell said. "At this point, Mr. Basi has to be
presumed innocent until proven guilty.''

Russell believes police have been fair in this respect and that the
media, for the most part, has as well.

"It's an unhappy situation for any citizen to find himself in,''
Russell said. "But being closely associated with political figures, I
think he loses some privacy protection that other citizens might be
entitled to. He's a public figure of sorts.''

Stephen Ward, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Sing
Tao School of Journalism who teaches journalistic ethics, said stories
depicting Basi's lifestyle as perhaps being too rich for his paycheque
have crossed the line.

"I think I've seen stories that have gone a little too far in
suggesting these two guys are convicted and have done something
wrong,'' he said.

Ward said journalists are in a tough spot because they are operating
in an information vacuum. He said he hopes the Supreme Court decides
to open search warrants so that British Columbians can get more basic
facts about the case.

Nick Russell, who has taught media ethics at the universities of
Victoria and Regina and at Langara College, agrees speculation is
being fed by a lack of information.

"I don't think the media has presumed they're guilty,'' Russell said.
"I do think the public may presume their guilt from the information
that they're getting but that's not the media's fault, at least not
largely. If the police and the attorney general would come clean about
what was going on there would be much less speculation and people
wouldn't be inventing scenarios.''

Russell, who will soon release a new edition of his book Morals and the
Media: Ethics in Canadian Journalism, said police and government's rationale
that more information can't be released because the investigation would be
jeopardized only goes so far.

"I'm only prepared to buy that for a short period of time,'' he said.
"Justice has to be seen to be done. It's not enough for them to say
we're good guys, we're doing the right thing. We've got to see them
doing it.''

BASI ISSUES STATEMENT:

Statement issued Friday by David Basi through his lawyer, Chris
Considine.

Mr. David Basi is unable to comment on any specifics of the police
investigation, as the matter is before the Courts, and is the subject
of a sealing order by the Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of British Columbia.

However, Mr. Basi states that he has not done anything wrong and has
cooperated fully with the police investigation. He expects to be
completely exonerated at the conclusion of the process.

Mr. Basi's lawyer, Chris Considine, noted that it would be
inappropriate and unfair to speculate on what the police may or may
not be investigating, and emphasized the importance of letting the
process set out by Associate Chief Justice Dohm of the Supreme Court
unfold in a proper manner.