Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: October 21, 2010 6:00 PM
Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster expects the public will be upset paying the bill for two former bureaucrats who leaked confidential information. The provincial government will cover the $6 million in legal fees Dave Basi and Bob Virk spent defending themselves over seven years. On Monday, they pled guilty to breach of trust and accepting a benefit related to the bid process for the sale of B.C. Rail.“I am not thrilled about this. I am not pleased they (Basi and Virk) put taxpayers in this position,” said Foster. “We just wasted a bunch of money on a couple of criminals.”
As part of the plea bargain from Basi and Virk, the government stated it would not try and recover legal costs. Foster says he will approach government officials to understand the process better. “I’m not sure why the decision was made. They broke the law,” he said of the former ministerial assistants. “There has to be a rational reason as to why this is done.” Attorney General Mike de Jong has indicated that Virk and Basi don’t have the ability to repay the $6 million. Basi and Virk have been sentenced to two years less a day of house arrest. They are also facing 150 hours of community service. Opposition parties are demanding an inquiry into the events leading up to the sale of B.C. Rail. De Jong has stated an inquiry isn’t needed, and Foster stands behind that decision. “There would be another waste of money,” he said of an inquiry. “These guys pled guilty and said no one else was involved.” Foster doesn’t believe the recent court case is a reflection of problems within the government bureaucracy. “Most everyone in the public service are honourable people,” he said.
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