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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The RCMP still refused on Friday to release the names of two Yellowknife residents accused in one of the NWT's largest drug busts.

The Crown prosecutors' office confirmed that Brittany Beaulieu, 26, and Alexander Smith, 33, have been charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking after RCMP entered a Yellowknife residence with a search warrant on Jan. 20.

Beaulieu is the daughter of Tu Nedhe MLA Tom Beaulieu, who is minister of Health and Social Services, the minister responsible for seniors and the minister responsible for persons with disabilities. The minister had been questioned in the legislative assembly last week by Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins on establishing a new addictions treatment centre in the territory.

The drug bust netted police crack, marijuana and cocaine with an estimated street value of $750,000.

The drugs amount to 2,000 dosages of cocaine, 500 dosages of crack and the equivalent of more than 52,000 joints.

Tom Beaulieu refused to comment on his daughter's charges.

"It's not a government matter, it's a family matter," said Shaun Dean, GNWT deputy secretary of corporate communications and protocol. "There is no plan for him to speak on it in a capacity as a minister."

Brittany Beaulieu has been released on bail of $5,000 and is scheduled to appear in territorial court in Yellowknife on March 20. Smith is in police custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 14.

Sgt. Wes Heron, media relations officer for the RCMP G division, wouldn't comment on whether the decision to withhold the pair's names in a press release dated Feb. 7 had any connection to Brittany Beaulieu's high-profile father.

"We're not providing any comments whatsoever on that," he said. "We're not making any comments at all. At all."

The charges were sworn on Jan. 28, but Heron wouldn't say when they were laid against the accused. Heron also declined to comment on the RCMP's policy on naming individuals, but Alberta RCMP's Sgt. Patrick Webb said the guidelines are very clear.

"The Privacy Act says that we can't name anybody who is not charged," he said. "The only time we would not name someone is when naming that person would identify a victim and revictimize that person. In other words, if a parent abuses a child and naming the parent would indicate to the public who the child was, then we will not revictimize the child by naming the parent. That's essentially the only time we would not release the name of a charged person."

He also said RCMP wouldn't name a person charged if it interfered with the investigation.

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