Former gaming minister agrees ‘unfair’ to cop who said ‘something stinky’ at casinos
Canadian Press, 14 May 2021
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s former gaming minister said comments he made more than a decade ago about a top-ranking financial crime investigator’s concerns about “something stinky” going on at provincial casinos were not fair.
Rich Coleman was recalled to testify Friday at the public inquiry into money laundering to face more questions about statements he made in January 2011, disputing media comments by former RCMP inspector Barry Baxter. “I probably got too broad in saying that,” said Coleman, who is the inquiry’s last witness. “I probably went a little too far out with my answer. It may have been unfair.”
The former Liberal deputy premier said he was speaking for more than just himself when he told a CBC radio host he didn’t believe Baxter’s concerns about money laundering occurring at casinos and neither did any of his superiors at the RCMP.
“I should have used the word ‘we’ instead of ‘I,'” said Coleman, adding Baxter’s RCMP superiors never officially told him they disagreed with their officer.
He said when he was the minister he would more often refer to the entire ministry in the singular form when it should have been plural.
