GamesBids.com’s exclusive interview with Charles Gould, one of two plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit launched Monday against the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympic Bid Corporation and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), was cut short because Gould was on his way to meet with Vancouver 2010 bid officials.
But Gould did have time to tell GamesBids.com that the bid committee had requested a “face-to-face meeting” with Gould.
The lawsuit was filed against Vancouver 2010 and ICBC for an “illegal financial transaction”. The plaintiffs claim that ICBC paid the bid corp. $1.8 million on or about Jan. 1, 2001; the payment by ICBC to the bid corp. is outside the powers granted to ICBC by the Insurance Corporation act and is “thus an illegal transaction”; and the directors of the Bid Corp. knew or ought to have known that the transaction was illegal and that they were participating in an illegal activity.
Gould told GamesBids that he received about 30 calls Monday night from citizens offering him financial support for the lawsuit. He promised another interview with GamesBids following his meeting Tuesday.
But if Gould was speaking to the press, The Province reports that Vancouver Olympic bid officials are refusing to comment on the lawsuit. Lizette Parsons, spokeswoman for Vancouver 2010 said, “we have received the documents. It’s currently with our legal counsel. We cannot comment because it is before the courts”.
It has also been reported that ICBC spokesman Doug McClelland said the company is sticking with its sponsorship.
On another touchy bid issue, Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell is meeting next week with city staff and with Jim green and Anne Roberts, two new city councillors, to work out a process to give voters a say on the Games, as soon as the bid book outlining the costs has been submitted.
Campbell said, “I believe there is substantial support for the bid among our citizens. That support can be consolidated and demonstrated by a plebiscite early in the new year”.
