B.C. GOV'T AIDE CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING

A ministerial assistant in the B.C. government has been charged with drug
trafficking.

He was arrested Thursday, said Const. Rick Anthony of Victoria Police.

"Two of our officers were in plainclothes, conducting a routine drug
surveillance in the downtown core," he said.

"They observed a male that they know, and it wasn't the accused that was
finally charged. A short time letter he met up with another gentleman who
pulled up in a car," he told BC CTV.

That car was later pulled over and searched. The accused was found to be in
possession of a drug known as crystal meth. He arrested and charged with
trafficking, Anthony said.

"The quantity I'm not aware of, but it is substantial enough to lay a
trafficking charge," he said.

The individual was held overnight and appeared in court Friday. Another
court date is scheduled for next week.

BC CTV's Ed Watson said a trafficking-related charge can be laid based on
the quantity of drugs and how it was packaged.

Watson said the suspect has been with the B.C. Liberal government since it
took power in 2001. He has worked for two cabinet ministers, but a
government spokesman said the man was on leave from his job.

Watson said the current arrest is not linked to the searches conducted at
the B.C. legislature shortly after Christmastime.

Those searches looked at the offices of David Basi and Bob Virk. Basi was a
ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins while Virk worked
for former transportation minister Judith Reid. Both lost their jobs.

Coincidentally, they also worked for the federal Liberal Party in B.C.

The RCMP said that investigation had drug overtones, it didn't involve
elected officials and that drug trafficking was not taking place at the
B.C. legislature.

However, according to a memo released by a judge, it also looked into any
possible influence-peddling, including with the controversial $1-billion
privatization of B.C. Rail.

With a report from BC CTV's Ed Watson