Request for sealed money laundering documents gets cool response from BC Liberals
Posted August 10, 2018 5:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Don’t hold your breath: That seems to be the early response from the BC Liberals to a letter seeking access to sensitive cabinet documents about dirty money being laundered in Metro Vancouver.
Opposition House Leader Mary Polak is accusing Attorney General David Eby of ‘playing politics.’
“If he was truly only interested in getting to the bottom of it, then he would have made a request for the information, rather than putting a request out to the media. My confidence starts to wane when we see stunts like this.”
Eby says he’s not expecting a quick response to the letter he sent to party leader Andrew Wilkinson asking for evidence that could expose criminal activity as far back as 2009.
“I’m incredibly skeptical there’s anything of use to us in there, but the former minister responsible is out in the media saying that the previous government did a lot,” Eby tells NEWS 1130. “I think it was more of a media exercise than anything based in truth, but certainly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
In a letter dated August 10, 2018, Eby said he didn’t want to “duplicate” unsuccessful measures taken by former Solicitor General Rich Coleman, who claims his government did “everything we could” to crack down on money laundering.
Eby is promising to keep the documents confidential, but suggests this would be the “most effective use of limited public resources.”
NEWS 1130 initially reached out for response from Coleman, but the only person available to defend him has been Polak.
“Here’s a guy who’s done his job, done it well,” she says. “As far as any kind of suggestions from Mr. Eby, I think he’s forming conclusions without information.”
Polak adds it may take time to formally respond to Eby’s request, but he says he’s not expecting the Opposition to hand over proof their government essentially did nothing.
“I am firmly of the view that the previous administration turned a blind eye to this –that they were grossly negligent and I don’t know how the solution of saying don’t accept cash unless you know where it comes from, could have escaped them?”
Eby insists sending a letter is easier than passing legislation giving the NDP government access to sealed cabinet documents.
