BC Rail corruption trial set for May

A trial date has been set for a political corruption case stemming from a police raid on the B.C. legislature more than six years ago.

The case against former government employees Dave Basi, Bobby Virk and Aneal Basi will formally begin May 3, B.C. Supreme Court heard Wednesday.

All three men confirmed in court that they wish to be tried by a judge and jury after giving notice in 2006 that they wanted a trial by judge alone.

The case is more appropriate for a jury trial, Michael Bolton, defence lawyer for Dave Basi, said outside court.

"The high degree of public interest in the case, in our view, requires that it be heard by a jury," he said.

Dave Basi and Virk are accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in connection with allegedly trading confidential government information involving the $1-billion sale of B.C. Rail to CN Rail in 2003.

Aneal Basi, Dave Basi's cousin, is charged with money laundering.

The case has been winding through the courts since 2005 as defence lawyers sought disclosure of close to one million pages of government documents, including emails.

But the Crown and defence have been working together in recent months to sort through the material and get the case ready for trial.