Elections BC says sensational campaign pamphlets that led to an RCMP investigation that's embroiled former solicitor general Kash Heed turned up in three ridings during last spring's campaign.

Elections BC spokeswoman Nola Western said Tuesday the pamphlets were circulated not only in the Vancouver-Fraserview riding Heed was running in, but also Vancouver-Kingsway and Vancouver-Kensington.

She said Elections BC ordered Canada Post to stop delivering the pamphlets late in the race because they were not properly identified as being connected to an official campaign, a violation of the Election Act.

"We did receive complaints from Vancouver-Kensington and Vancouver-Kingsway that they were being distributed in those electoral districts," Western said.

The Chinese-language mail-outs accused the New Democrats of planning to legalize illegal drugs, including heroin and cocaine, and said the party would also consider bringing in an inheritance tax.

Heed resigned his cabinet post last week after revealing he was part of an ongoing RCMP investigation involving election irregularities.

Heed won Vancouver-Fraserview by less than 750 votes, while New Democrats Mable Elmore and Adrian Dix easily won the other two Vancouver ridings where the pamphlets appeared.

Western said Elections BC's primary concern with the pamphlets was preventing them from being distributed through the mail system, as opposed to which ridings they were landing in.

"As soon as we received a complaint and confirmed that they (were) not in accordance with the Election Act, I telephoned Canada Post, and as far as I know, they did stop delivering some of them," Western said. "But some of them were already in the system."

The pamphlet printer

CTV News has learned more about the man who printed the pamphlets distributed in Vancouver-Fraserview. 

North American Mailing Service Ltd. Owner Dinesh Khanna is a BC Liberal political donor, a Liberal friend and his son is a Liberal volunteer.

The Liberals even introduced Khanna into the B.C. legislature – twice.

In July 2001, Liberal MLA Rob Nijjar introduced him and expressed gratitude for "the undying, loyal support of Dinesh Kanna, his family and his son Amit Khanna."

NDP Opposition Critic Mike Farnworth says the controversial brochures are causing anxiety among Liberals.

"The government is very nervous about this," he said. "This stinks, and it needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Former solicitor general responds

Heed said Monday he didn't know about the pamphlet until shortly after the election and denied his or his campaign's involvement.

He said little Tuesday, brushing past reporters before saying he was going to respect the integrity of the investigation and let it unfold on its own.

Bill Barisoff, the legislature's speaker, cut off debate on the matter Tuesday between Premier Gordon Campbell and New Democrat Mike Farnworth.

Barisoff told both Campbell and Farnworth he would not allow questions about the issues, citing legislature tradition of not discussing matters under police investigation as a courtesy to the RCMP.

Campbell did say he expected acting solicitor general Mike de Jong to serve in his new post for a number of months.

Farnworth later said Heed's resignation and the distribution of the pamphlets has the government appearing nervous.

"Clearly, it's struck a nerve," he said.

"This story is not over. It will no doubt unfold over the weeks."

Campbell said on Monday he did not hear about the pamphlet issue until last weekend when it was part of media reports connected to Heed's resignation.

Farnworth questioned the premier on that statement.

"The issue came up during the election campaign," he said. "I just find it inconceivable that during an election campaign that the leader is not made aware of issues and controversies going on during the campaign."

The New Democrats said earlier they filed complaints to Elections BC about the financing of the pamphlet that circulated in Heed's Vancouver-Fraserview riding days before the vote last May.

In announcing his resignation, Heed, a former police chief and star Liberal candidate in the May 2009 vote, cited allegations that his campaign office violated advertising and finance rules in the Elections Act.

RCMP confirmed a commercial crimes unit investigation and the Criminal Justice Branch announced a special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee the case.

The RCMP said Tuesday it had no further comment on the investigation.

Heed said he first learned about the probe from the RCMP at the end of March. But he said police originally told him he was not being investigated.

Lawyer Terrence Robertson was appointed special prosecutor in January, and the RCMP started its investigation within weeks of last May's election, which returned the Liberals to power for a third term.

RCMP said the investigation was prompted by a complaint to the province's chief electoral officer, who forwarded the allegation to the Mounties last June.

Heed is the third Liberal solicitor general forced to resign amid allegations of wrongdoing in the past two years.

John Les resigned from the post in March 2008 after it was revealed he was part of an RCMP investigation that alleged he improperly benefited from land deals while he was serving as mayor of Chilliwack.

John van Dongen resigned as solicitor general in April 2009 after it was revealed he lost his driver's license for numerous speeding tickets. He was serving as superintendent of Motor Vehicles at the time.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jim Beatty