16.28°C Vancouver

Apr 28, 2021 3:34 PM -

Former Liberal gaming minister, deputy premier to testify at money laundering inquiry

Share On
former-liberal-gaming-minister-deputy-premier-to-testify-at-money-laundering-inquiry
Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman speaks to media during a press conference in the Legislative Library on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 in Victoria, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

A former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister who was responsible for gaming for more than a decade is scheduled to testify today at the public inquiry into money laundering.

Rich Coleman, a six-term former member of the B.C. legislature and deputy premier, is the latest of several high-profile past and current politicians to appear before the Cullen Commission in recent days.

Former premier Christy Clark recently testified at the inquiry, as did current Opposition Liberal MLAs Shirley Bond and Mike de Jong, both of whom were previous ministers in charge of gaming.

B.C. Attorney General David Eby, who served as gaming minister when the New Democrats formed government in 2017, testified earlier this week about watching video of gamblers arriving at casinos with bags of suspicious cash.

The inquiry has heard previous testimony from former gaming investigators who raised concerns to Coleman about suspicious cash at casinos and the possible links to organized crime and money laundering, but they said little was done.

The government called the inquiry in May 2019, appointing B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen, after three reports outlined how B.C.'s real estate, luxury vehicle and gaming sectors were being used to launder illegal cash.

A final report is due Dec. 15.

Latest news

surrey-mayor-brenda-locke-criticizes-metro-vancouver-governance-reforms-as-inadequate
BCJul 27, 2026

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke criticizes Metro Vancouver governance reforms as inadequate

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says Metro Vancouver's decision to reduce the size of its governance board does not address what she describes as longstanding inequities in the regional voting system. According to a statement from Locke, Metro Vancouver's decision to reduce the number of board directors from 45 to 34 will make the board smaller but will not resolve what she called an unfair distribution of voting power. She said the Village of Belcarra, with a population of fewer than 1,000 residents, holds one full vote on the board, while Surrey, despite having a population hundreds of times large
WorldJul 27, 2026

Kaduna Village Attack Leaves About 30 Dead, Including Children

At least 30 people were killed after armed attackers raided a village in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state early Monday, according to local residents. The victims include eight children, while four other people were injured. Dogon Rana, secretary to the village chief, said the attackers entered the community, opened fire indiscriminately, and set several homes ablaze. He said many of those killed were women, children, and elderly residents. According to Rana, the attackers fled the area after carrying out the assault. Local residents said security forces arrived in the village several hours
CanadaJul 27, 2026

Etobicoke Uber driver charged after alleged sexual assaults in Burlington

Halton Regional Police have arrested a 25-year-old Etobicoke man in connection with two alleged sexual assaults involving the same woman in Burlington. Police identified the accused as Mandeep Singh and said he was working as an Uber driver at the time of the incident. According to Halton Regional Police, the incident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. on June 16 near the south parking lot of the Burlington GO Station. Investigators allege Singh approached the woman and began speaking with her before sexually assaulting her. Police further allege that after the woman left the area, the accused follow
IndiaJul 27, 2026

Punjab sanitation workers end strike after agreement with government

Sanitation workers in Punjab have announced an end to their strike after reaching an agreement with the Punjab government over their long-pending demands. The decision follows a series of measures announced by the state government, including a substantial increase in monthly wages for sanitation employees. According to the Punjab government, sanitation workers who were previously receiving a monthly salary of ₹10,500 will now receive ₹20,500. The revised wages will be paid from Aug. 1 to sanitation workers and sewermen employed on a contractual basis. The government also announced the form
gunfire-damages-u-s-consulate-building-in-toronto
CanadaJul 27, 2026

Gunfire damages U.S. Consulate building in Toronto

The U.S. Consulate at the intersection of University Avenue and Armoury Street in downtown Toronto was struck by gunfire early Monday morning, according to Toronto Police. No injuries were reported. Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said the shooting occurred at approximately 4:45 a.m. while police officers were already present in the area. Investigators confirmed that at least one bullet struck the front of the consulate building. Police said the suspect fled the scene in a white Honda Accord sedan without licence plates. Officers briefly pursued the vehicle but discontinued the chase out of concern

Related News