One of the men acquitted in the largest mass murder in Canadian history has been ordered to repay his legal fees -- or B.C.'s highest court will allow the province to take possession of his assets.
The B.C. government now has the right to foreclose on two prime properties co-owned by Ripudaman Singh Malik if the Vancouver businessman does not repay $1.6 million dollars within three months.
The B.C. Supreme Court ruling says the government can force the sale of the Executive Hotel in Harrison Hot Springs and a commercial building in Vancouver's trendy Yaletown neighbourhood.
Mortgages were placed on both properties as part of a financing agreement with Malik when the province picked up the $6.8 million dollar tab for his legal defence during the Air India trial.
Mr. Malik was charged in October 2000 with the murder of 331 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in aviation history prior to September 11, 2001.
In March 2005 Malik was acquitted of all charges connected to the 1985 bombing off the coast of Ireland.
The investigation and prosecution of the Air India bombing took almost 20 years and was the most expensive trial in Canadian history.
Although Mr. Malik was believed to have assets worth $10-million at the time of his arrest, he claimed he had insufficient funds to pay his lawyers.
The B.C. government paid his bills under an agreement that required Mr. Malik to repay the money within 45 days after the trial. However, after he was acquitted, Mr. Malik said he did not have the funds to pay the debt.
