HOME OF MINISTER'S BROTHER AMONG SEARCH TARGETS

Fundraiser For Federal Liberals Says He Is Not A Crime Probe Suspect

VANCOUVER -- Police served a search warrant on the Vancouver home
office of Bruce Clark, Deputy Premier Christy Clark's brother and the
chief fundraiser for the B.C. chapter of the federal Liberals, as part
of the investigation that led to raids at the legislature last Sunday.

Confirmation of the search at Clark's West End home provides one more
piece of the puzzle about who was targeted Sunday by police, who are
conducting a drug and organized crime investigation that has involved
several high-ranking members of the provincial and federal Liberal
parties.

However, even as another piece of the puzzle turns up, the full
picture of the investigation -- and how it involves illegal drugs,
organized crime, police corruption and provincial and federal Liberals
- -- remains unclear.

The RCMP and provincial government refuse to release more information
about the case and the federal Liberals maintain the probe doesn't
involve them, despite several of their key organizers being searched
by police.

Bruce Clark said he was not a suspect in the investigation and
insisted police did not tell him what they were looking for or what
they took from his home Sunday.

Clark said he was "absolutely surprised" when police phoned him while
he was on vacation on the East Coast.

"We were away, out of town for Christmas holidays with family, and
received a message from the RCMP. They were interested in seeing if we
had any documents in my home office that might assist them in an
investigation," Clark said Thursday in his first media interview since
the raids.

"I contacted them and made arrangements to give them access to my home
office that day that I was away, and offered to co-operate in any way
I could," he said.

"The police were not able to tell me anything about the investigation,
but they did make it absolutely clear that I am not a suspect."

He returned home Thursday, but said he did not know then if police
seized anything from his home.

Clark, who said he made arrangements for someone to grant police
access to his home while he was away, at first told The Vancouver Sun
he didn't ask the RCMP if they had a search warrant. He phoned back a
short time later to clarify that police did, in fact, have a warrant
to search his home office.

Clark's holding company, Vovis Consulting Inc., oversees his
investments, including residential properties he owns in New
Westminster.

He said his business was not involved in the B.C. Rail privatization
deal, which has links to most of the other people or businesses that
were searched by police Sunday.

However, he is connected politically to many of the other search
warrant subjects.

Police seized documents from the Port Moody home office of Clark's
brother-in-law Mark Marissen, who is married to the deputy premier and
who is the prime minister's most powerful non-elected ally in B.C.

Mounties visited the Vancouver home office of Erik Bornman, who sits
on the executive of the B.C. chapter of the federal Liberals with
Clark. Bornman was also the organizational chair for Paul Martin's
leadership campaign, while Clark did the fundraising.

Also searched was the Victoria office of Pilothouse Public Affairs
Group, where Bornman is a director and works as a provincial
government lobbyist.

The most high-profile searches were at the legislature offices of
Finance Minister Gary Collins' ministerial assistant David Basi and
Transportation Minister Judith Reid's ministerial assistant Bob Virk.
Both are active members of the federal Liberal party, and Basi in
particular was credited with recruiting thousands of new members
during Martin's leadership campaign.

Basi, whose house was also searched, was fired Sunday, and Virk was
suspended with pay.

Many of the people targeted by police have long-standing connections
to the provincial and/or federal Liberals, and some have been
associated through various business ventures in B.C.

Clark was president and CEO of Burnaby-based Canada Payphone Corp.
until his resignation in November 2000. Bornman was the company's
director of communications at the time.

RCMP and Victoria police began their investigation 20 months ago,
uncovering links to illegal drugs, organized crime and police corruption.

Evidence uncovered led to a spinoff investigation, which resulted in
the seven search warrants issued Sunday -- including two at the
legislature, one each at Pilothouse's offices in Vancouver and
Victoria, one at Basi's Saanich home, and the one at Clark's home office.

Because the search warrants are sealed to the public it is unclear
where the seventh was served. Marissen says police did not have a
search warrant when they came to his house.

The main documents that hold clues to the mystery surrounding the
investigation have been sealed by the court. The seven search warrants
contain allegations, but not evidence, which police would have
presented to a judge to get permission to conduct the searches.

The Times Colonist and three other media outlets will argue in court
today that the search warrants should be made public.

At least one of the search warrants executed at the legislature is
part of the drug case, but it is still murky how the two
investigations weave together.

Nine people in Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria were arrested in
mid-December in connection with the drug case, but were released
without charges. At least one person was arrested Sunday in the
legislature case, Victoria police said, but no charges have been laid.

Victoria police have also said the investigation is linked to the
suspension Dec. 15 of Const. Ravinder Dosanjh, but did not elaborate.

All of the unanswered questions continue to swirl around the
legislature at a time when politicians and staff begin to return from
their holidays. Premier Gordon Campbell is not expected to arrive home
from Hawaii until early next week.