David Eby, Attorney-General of British Columbia has been one of the most fervent opposers of the way money laundering scandal involving casino venues in the area has been handled. This Wednesday he expressed his deep disappointment with the recent news about the staying of charges in the most impressive with its span money-laundering case in the province commonly referred to as E-Pirate.
Money laundering conducted by casino venues sprinkled throughout the province has been an issue extensively reviewed over the span of the past few months. The recent announcement that the federal case is no longer on the table came after the Crown stayed the criminal charges in Richmond provincial court. Shortly after that, Mr. Eby found the time and the place to stated his personal position in relation to the unexpected turn of events and make some projections about the future.
Unexpected Turn of Events
He said that the news related to the E-Pirate probe caught him off-guard, as this was not what he expected as an outcome. Voters of British Columbia deserve to know the true nature of casino venues operation. Mr. Eby stated that this turn of events is troubling, as it has the potential to stir the pot even more and prompt a public inquiry related to the money laundering allegations.
The only thing preventing this from happening up until now was the fact that there has been an investigation into the subject in progress. Now that the federal case has apparently come to an end, this could trigger such inquiry in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, his projections turned out reasonable, since Brad West, Port Coquitlam Mayor demanded that a public inquiry is conducted.
He claimed that such official review ordered by the government has the potential to reap more benefits in the long run. Once it is finished it will give lawmakers the opportunity to provide their guidance and recommendations, potentially surpassing the parallel online tip-off campaign which is seeking to boost Peter German’s report on the subject issued in June.
If you have information that could assist Dr. Peter German to look into allegations of money laundering in #VanRe , we've just released this tip portal to help you communicate with him. https://t.co/IuCXBTdUuP
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) November 18, 2018
Public Inquiry Could be Triggered
Over the span of the investigation, it was discovered that casino venues in British Columbia have been linked to money laundering and underground banking rings. The service itself bearing the name Silver International Investments was based in Richmond, as it has been revealed after police raids in the region and it amounted to more than CA$500 million.
Back in 2015, it was revealed that Mainland China high-roller gambling enthusiasts were more than welcome to spend their money and win big at River Rock Casino. January 2019 was projected as the month in which a trial against Silver International Investments Ltd., Caixuan Qin, and Jain Jun Zhu was supposed to take place.
However, as it turned out it all tumbled down weeks before it. The trial was set to last about five weeks and to continue all the way to April 2019. For the time being the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has not issued a statement explaining the staying of charges. This has triggered immediate actions and Hon. Eby’s demand for a essential information from federal prosecutors. More information regarding the failure is expected to be issued in the foreseeable future, shedding more light on the real reasons for this collapse.
