Reports that government officials “showed willful blindness” to dirty money scandal

Ravi Kahlon

SEVERAL recent media stories feature whistleblowers warning that BC government officials were aware of and potentially complicit in BC’s dirty money laundering scandal, says the NDP.

A Global News report on Tuesday indicates that after a criminal organization was tipped off about a police raid, “police distrust of B.C. government officials grew”. (Global News, Feb 12, 2019)

A key whistleblower recently revealed to CTV that he waited until the BC Liberals were out of power before going public: “I always believed that I wanted to expose this, and I just had to wait for the right time. And to me that right time was when the provincial government changed.” –Ross Alderson, former head of anti-money laundering for BC Lottery Corporation (CTV W5 Feb 9, 2019)

And reporter Sam Cooper notes a consistent theme from the numerous whistleblowers who have spoken out: “They all believe that some officials in BC’s government showed willful blindness to massive money laundering.” –Sam Cooper (Global News, Feb 7, 2019)

In August, Attorney General David Eby requested that BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson assist government’s efforts by confidentially providing the previous government’s cabinet documents related to money laundering. Wilkinson refused the request. (Global News, Sept 14)

Ravi Kahlon, NDP MLA for Delta North, says: “This latest report raises some serious questions, most importantly: did someone in the previous government tip off money launderers? Given the mounting questions for the BC Liberals, it’s disappointing and frustrating that Andrew Wilkinson has refused to assist our investigation. It’s time for Andrew Wilkinson and his former cabinet colleagues to explain to British Columbians what they knew about the dirty money scandal and why they refused to act.”