DROPPED CHARGES CONCERN DAY

Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Stockwell Day hopes the U.S. doesn't get the
wrong message following a federal justice department decision not to
proceed with charges against the driver of a marijuana-laden truck
nabbed at the Osoyoos border crossing last summer.

Day said Thursday although he does not have all the details
surrounding the decision, he acknowledged it could be dimly viewed by
U.S. authorities concerned about Canadian border security.

"There's at least an appearance that the system here may be more lax
- -- in terms of the justice system, not the policing. The policing
obviously was effective," he said in a telephone interview from Ottawa.

"Without passing judgement on the details of why no charges on this
one, it's disturbing these wrong signals are being sent. That's the
wrong message to have about our borders."

Day said one of his first priorities after the new Conservative
government gets sworn into office this Monday, will be to ask for full
details on why no charges were laid. He wondered if changes need to be
made to the justice system to prevent alleged criminals from escaping
charges on technicalities.

"We should give full points to the policing side of things that they
were able to do the bust, but it's discouraging for our police
officers when the bad guys are able to sneak away on technicalities,"
he said.

The MP also reiterated his party's stance that Canada Customs
officials at border crossings should be armed, as are their U.S.
counterparts.

On July 11, 2005 Canada Customs officers at the Osoyoos border
crossing arrested the driver of a transport truck containing almost
200 vaccuum-sealed bags of marijuana prior to the truck's entry into
the United States.

The pot, which was found stashed in the roof the cab, weighed more
than 100 kilograms and had an estimated street value of up to
half-a-million dollars. It was billed as the largest drug bust ever in
the history of the Okanagan-Kootenay district of the Canada Border
Services Agency and gained considerable media attention.

However, the federal justice department opted not to proceed with
charges against the truck driver, Jasdeep Singh Litt of Surrey. He had
originally been charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose
of trafficking and unlawfully exporting drugs.

A justice department spokesperson this week declined to reveal
specific reasons for the decision, but she noted prosecutors must have
a reasonable prospect of a conviction.

Although Litt was the driver of the truck, he did not own the rig.
It's believed the border services agency is attempting to have the
vehicle forfeited to the government.