Court
hears
aud
case

& $40-MILLION fraud
case involving a now-
defunct federal tax credit
program, a West Vancouver
lawyer and other individuals
will begin tomorrow in B.C.
Supreme Court.

By Robin Brunet
Contributing Writer

In December 1996, Roger
Lawrence and seven other people
were charged with fraud following
a three-year Revenue Canada in-
vestigation.

The offences were alleged to
have occurred in 1984 and 1985,
when the accused allegedly used
the Scientific Research Tax Credit
(SRTC) program to bilk investors
of $40 million.

Under the SRTC program a
company could obtain a 50-cent
tax credit that could be sold or
“flipped’” to another company for
every dollar spent on scientific
tesearch.

The controversial tax scheme
was axed by the feds in 1985 after
only 11 months because of allega-
tions of widespread abuse.

Lawrence was also charged with
possession of a West Vancouver
tesidence allegedly purchased with
the proceeds of the alleged fraud;
his bail was set at $375,000 with a
$50,000 cash deposit and a condi-
tion he surrender his passport.

Lawrence will appear for pre-
trial motions in Supreme Court
tomorrow.

Former Lower Mainland
businessman Dara Wilder was
charged with possession of an
Aldergrove home allegedly pur-
chased with the proceeds from the
alleged fraud.

The others accused included
Lawrence’s wife, Seona; Victor
Attrill, a former Vancouverite
now living in England; Michael
Richards, a Vancouver accoun-
tant; Michael Vaz, whose last
known residence was in West
Vancouver; Gerald Byerlay of
Chilliwack; Ronald Johnson of
Richmond; and Mid-Pacific Ser-
vices Inc. of B.C.

A bizarre twist to the case oc-
curred in July 1989, when pine
coffins bearing the names of
Lawrence, Wilder, Richards and
Johnson, and inscribed ‘‘R.1.P.,’’
were delivered to the accuseds’
homes or workplaces.

Also that month, a bomb was
detonated at Lawrence’s home in
the British Properties in West
Vancouver.

Two cars were also set on fire
at Wilder’s Bellingham home.
Michael Richards received a poem
“expressing sympathy’’ along with
his coffin.

The pre-trial motions have been
scheduled throughout March; a
jury trial, in which Revenue
Canada will present its case
against the accused, will com-
mence in April and is expected to
run for three months.

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