B.C. RAIDS LINKED TO MOB PROBE

Cabinet Ministers' Aides Targeted

VANCOUVER -- Police raided the offices of two cabinet ministers after
an organized-crime investigation turned up information of potential
wrongdoing, RCMP said yesterday. Sgt. John Ward told a news conference
police raided the legislature offices of B.C. Finance Minister Gary
Collins and Transportation Minister Judith Reid on Sunday. Ward said
the raid was based on information related to an organized-crime drug
case, as well as unrelated information discovered as a byproduct of
the 20-month drug probe that resulted in the arrests last week of nine
people.

NO ARRESTS

He stressed the search warrants executed at the legislature did not
involve elected politicians. No arrests have been made nor charges
laid, he said.

"I want to make it clear it's not a political investigation," he
said.

Warrants were executed Sunday on the offices of two unelected
officials, he said.

In addition, a search warrant was executed at the home of one of those
officials, he said.

At a separate news conference, Victoria Police Chief Paul Battershill
said six locations were searched in the B.C. capital, including an
accounting office.

Warrants used for the searches were sealed by the court. Police did
not name the ministerial staffers whose offices were searched.

ADVISING POLICE

But a published report in the Vancouver Province said the searches
involved records thought to be in the offices of Dave Basi, a
ministerial assistant to Collins and activist in both the federal and
B.C. wings of the Liberal party, and Robert Virk, an assistant to Reid.

However, the attorney general's ministry noted a special prosecutor
would be advising police in their investigation into allegations of
possible criminal misconduct by both non-elected officials.

A legislature spokesman said yesterday that Basi's appointment was
rescinded, effectively firing him. Solicitor General Rich Coleman said
Basi and Virk were "disciplined" yesterday.