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Arvay then asked whether it was fair to say the case was about an attempt to obtain the proceeds of crime.

Tawtel said that when they evaluate a file, the cost benefit is something they look at given the fact that his office receives no direct funding from the government. It covers its bills from forfeited property.

“So as a result we’re expected to be prudent and judicious in taking on cases and how much funds we expend on that. But certainly the public interest component is important as well.”

Tawtel said his office had taken on cases where from the outset there’s high public interest and “low equity” but it was important to pursue the case.

“And would this case fall into that category,” said Arvay.

“I would say that public interest is an important consideration in this case,” said Tawtel, a longtime RCMP officer before he was appointed executive director in 2012.

When Arvay suggested that obtaining the proceeds were not an important consideration, Tawtel replied that they were a consideration.

“But certainly as you said earlier, in the majority of cases that are settled, they make pragmatic sense to pursue. In this case, obviously the costs have been high on both sides. I would agree with that.”

Questioned about skyrocketing real estate values, Tawtel said he would challenge whether increasing values would include a property that was associated with the Hells Angels.

“I would have to rely on the expertise of a marketing person to say how easy it is to find a buyer for such a property.”

Arvay interjected to say that Tawtel’s comments seemed “gratuitous” to him.

Earlier Tawtel told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Barry Davies that since its inception in 2006, there have been about 7,000 civil forfeiture referrals from various agencies including the RCMP and the Vancouver police.

He said that as of last week, the office had collected more than $90 million in forfeited property.

The trial is expected to continue with more testimony from Tawtel on Tuesday.

kfraser@postmedia.com

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