Who's who in the Basi-Virk case

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Udhe Singh (Dave) Basi

Udhe Singh (Dave) Basi was an aide to then finance minister Gary Collins and Bobby Singh Virk was an assistant to then transportation minister Judith Reid. Both men were sentenced to two years less a day under house arrest for breach of trust and accepting a benefit.

Aneal Basi

Aneal Basi, cousin of Dave Basi and a low-level communications officer in the Transportation Ministry, was charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly handling payments to Dave Basi, but charges were later stayed.

Jas Bains

Jas Bains or Jasmohan Singh Bains, Dave Basi's cousin, was sentenced in 2008 to nine years for conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Judge Robert Higinbotham observed: "He was the initiator, the driving force, and the chief executive officer of the trafficking enterprise, and he answered to no other person."

Police intercepted numerous calls between Mr. Bains and Dave Basi throughout 2003.

Erik Bornman

Erik Bornman (who also spells his name Bornmann) was the Liberal Party communications director and a director of Pilothouse Public Affairs Group, a lobbying firm that represented OmniTRAX Inc., a U.S. company bidding for BC Rail in 2003. An RCMP search warrant states he "had contact with [Dave]Basi and received information and documents from Basi in exchange for payments which were made to Aneal Basi for forwarding to Basi."

He was the Crown's star witness, but the trial ended before he testified. Police seized 5,500 e-mails from his computer.

Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark was on the Liberal Party of Canada's B.C. executive and is the brother of Christy Clark. He was a top fundraiser for B.C. federal Liberals and a lobbyist. Among his clients in 2003 was Washington Marine Group, which was interested in the BC Rail port facility at Roberts Bank. His home office was searched by police the day of the legislature raids.

Christy Clark

Christy Clark is now a candidate to replace Premier Gordon Campbell, but at the time was the deputy premier of B.C. She retired to spend more time with family in September, 2004, failed in a Vancouver mayoralty bid in 2005, then became a CKNW radio talk show host in 2007. She was married to Mark Marissen, a key federal Liberal strategist in B.C.

Gary Collins

Gary Collins was finance minister at the time of the Dec. 28, 2003, legislature raid. He resigned in 2004.

Jamie Elmhirst

Jamie Elmhirst, a director of Pilothouse Public Affairs, was a former aide to federal Liberal cabinet minister, now retired, David Anderson and a former ministerial assistant to Joyce Murrary, former minister of water, land and air protection.

Brian Kieran

Brian Kieran was a director of Pilothouse Public Affairs. OmniTRAX paid Pilothouse $297,000 (statement by defence in B.C. Supreme Court). He paid Dave Basi $3,000 to cover his expenses for flying to a Denver Broncos football game as a guest of OmniTRAX. He is a former political columnist for The Province. His offices were searched by police the day of the legislature raids.

Mark Marissen

Mark Marissen, a Liberal strategist, was married to Christy Clark and once worked for David Anderson. He ran Paul Martin's leadership campaign in B.C. and was co-chair of the Liberal national election team. Police visited his home office at the time of the legislature raids but did not serve a search warrant.

Judith Reid

Judith Reid was transportation minister at the time of the raids and Mr. Virk's boss.

Kevin DeBruyckere

RCMP Inspector Kevin DeBruyckere was the lead investigator in project Everywhichway. He is a brother-in-law to Kelly Reichert, who in 2003 was the executive director of the B.C. Liberal Party. Insp. DeBruyckere told his RCMP superiors of his relationship to Mr. Reichert and said he never discussed the case with him at any time.

The prosecutor

William Berardino was special prosecutor, assisted by Janet Winteringham and Andrea Mackay.

The defence lawyers

Michael Bolton and Claire Hatcher were defence lawyers for Dave Basi; Kevin McCullough, defence lawyer for Bob Virk, and Joseph Doyle, defence lawyer for Aneal Basi.

The judge

Madam Justice Anne W. MacKenzie was the presiding Supreme Court judge.