Commission grilling Gord Friesen about BCLC accepting frequent 200k cash buyins in $20s, and transactions up to 800k in 20s under his watch at BCLC. Friesen is a former drug unit officer.
Did you think it was proceeds of crime?
"Some well could have been, yes."
"Some well could have been, yes."
"I didn't have the authority to take action. I observed and reported." Friesen says that Mike Hiller told him that BC casinos could be facilitating money laundering, with loan sharks providing bulk cash to VIPs, and the VIPS paying back the cash in other forms then cash. But
Friesen says he is not aware BCLC had any authority to stop these transactions, during his time.
"Sir, when you get money from the bank does it come in elastic bands?"
"No," Friesen says.
"No," Friesen says.
"Can you conceive of any legitimate source for that quantity of $20s. Any scenario where someone would obtain $800,000 in $20s?"
"Maybe they sold a house and it is revenue from that, I don't know," Friesen says. He later says he has gotten large quantities of cash from a bank
"Maybe they sold a house and it is revenue from that, I don't know," Friesen says. He later says he has gotten large quantities of cash from a bank
"I have in undercover operations for drug dealing" as a Surrey drug unit officer.
@CullenInquiryBC counsel McGowan gave a sort of pause and then a curt 'Thank you' after this answer. I imagine he was thinking, thanks for proving my point, no more questions needed here.
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