Lawyer tells B.C. court acquitted Air India suspect not trying to hide assets

Vancouver, B.C: The lawyer for a man acquitted in the Air India bombing says the government has no evidence to suggest his client is trying to hide assets to avoid repaying $1.8 million in legal fees.
Bruce McLeod has filed documents in B.C. Appeal Court showing two commercial properties owned by Ripudaman Singh Malik and his wife are worth $20 million.
The province says Malik owes $7.6 million in legal fees.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan ordered Malik to repay $1.8 million of that total by last October but Malik filed an appeal.
McLeod said Tuesday that a court order freezing all of Malik's assets should not continue because there's no evidence that his client is conspiring to commit fraud against the government.
McLeod told the court that while the Malik family's assets may be intertwined in his client's various businesses his three sons are not taking any action to indicate they're involved in defrauding the province.
Malik and his co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri were charged and acquitted of the mass murders of 331 people in two separate bombings targeting Air India planes on June 23, 1985.
Air India Flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland after leaving Canada with 329 people aboard. On the same day, a bomb-laden suitcase meant for a second Air India plane exploded prematurely at Tokyo's Narita Airport, killing two baggage handlers.
Inderjit Singh Reyat was the only person convicted in the case after he admitted to supplying bomb parts.
04/03/09 The Canadian Press, Canada

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Categories: Air India - International Mar 2009, Foreign Mar 2009, NACIL Mar 2009, Safety Mar 2009