According to CBC television's Here & Now supper-hour news show, Bill Murray - the former financial operations director at the House of Assembly - has local lawyer Averrill (A.J.) Baker representing him.
So far, everyone who has been to see the Auditor General has lawyered-up with the best and/or best-known criminal barristers in town. By my count, there are only a couple left so people better hope they fall under John Noseworthy's scrutiny soon. Otherwise it is gonna be hard to find anyone other than a slip and fall specialist to help deal with the criminal probe that grows by the day.
So finding that Murray had a lawyer wasn't a surprise. It was what Baker said: Speaker of the House of Assembly Harvey Hodder - Murray's boss and the guy responsible for the House's administrative procedures - paid Murray a visit in the hospital where Murray is apparently undergoing treatment.
Baker claims Hodder tried to elicit a confession from Murray. As Baker noted, anything Murray may have said wouldn't be admissible in court.
That's not really the point.
Hodder shouldn't be anywhere within a hundred miles of Murray. If Baker's accusation is false, the little visit just looks odd.
But if Baker is correct, then Harvey looks like a really nervous guy and the visit could be called suspicious. It's the kind of thing the fellows down at Fort Townshend will be looking for as they bring the whole sordid mess at the House under their scrutiny.
Just remember, Harvey and everyone else. The Constab these days are not the guys who used to get a chuckle rousting teenagers making out in the backseat of Dad's Chev.
Nope, these days the men and women at Fort Townsend are among the best cops around. And if that wasn't good enough they can always bring in Mounties or whoever else they need to find.
And even if you didn't do anything wrong, Harvey, you might wind up looking for a barrister of your own... just because you acted very suspiciously.
