B.C.  GOV'T AIDE CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING

A ministerial assistant in the B.C.  government has been charged with drug trafficking.

He was arrested Thursday, said Const.  Rick Anthony of Victoria Police.

"Two of our officers were in plainclothes, conducting a routine drug surveillance in the downtown core," he said.

"They observed a male that they know, and it wasn't the accused that was finally charged.  A short time letter he met up with another gentleman who pulled up in a car," he told BC CTV.

That car was later pulled over and searched.  The accused was found to be in possession of a drug known as crystal meth.  He arrested and charged with trafficking, Anthony said.

"The quantity I'm not aware of, but it is substantial enough to lay a trafficking charge," he said.

The individual was held overnight and appeared in court Friday.  Another court date is scheduled for next week.

BC CTV's Ed Watson said a trafficking-related charge can be laid based on the quantity of drugs and how it was packaged.

Watson said the suspect has been with the B.C.  Liberal government since it took power in 2001.  He has worked for two cabinet ministers, but a government spokesman said the man was on leave from his job.

Watson said the current arrest is not linked to the searches conducted at the B.C.  legislature shortly after Christmastime.

Those searches looked at the offices of David Basi and Bob Virk.  Basi was a ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins while Virk worked for former transportation minister Judith Reid.  Both lost their jobs.

Coincidentally, they also worked for the federal Liberal Party in B.C.

The RCMP said that investigation had drug overtones, it didn't involve elected officials and that drug trafficking was not taking place at the B.C.  legislature.

However, according to a memo released by a judge, it also looked into any possible influence-peddling, including with the controversial $1-billion privatization of B.C.  Rail.

With a report from BC CTV's Ed Watson