Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Mar, 2022 01:30 PM
VANCOUVER - A special prosecutor says British Columbia's former clerk of the legislative assembly used public funds to enrich himself in "glaring and egregious" ways.
Brock Martland made the allegation as he began closing arguments in the Crown's case against Craig James, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000 and three counts of breach of trust.
James's defence is expected to present its case Wednesday.
Martland says that as the most senior officer of the legislature, James held a position akin to the CEO and was responsible for financial stewardship of the institution.
He accused James of acting outside of his duties by picking up a wood splitter and trailer for the legislature and storing them at home for a year, exploiting a weakness in the system to award himself a $258,000 retirement benefit and charging souvenirs to the public purse.
Martland says public trust in government officials is a critical part of a functioning democracy, and he alleged that James violated that trust.
"This case is about trust, specifically the public trust that we place in government officials," Martland told the court on Tuesday.
"Our position is that the public trust was violated repeatedly and extensively by Craig James."
VPD investigators believe the stabbing occurred last Friday afternoon, near Main and Hastings, after a confrontation between two men outside the community centre. Although the incident was not immediately reported to police, officers began investigating after the victim showed up at hospital with several serious stab wounds.
There are currently 2,882 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 212,704 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 303 individuals are currently in hospital and 115 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Surrey RCMP is informing the public of three separate shootings that occurred over the weekend. While it is too early to conclusively determine a motive, all three shootings appear to be targeted, and investigators are exploring links to criminal activity and the drug trade.
A teenaged boy from South Vancouver could face criminal charges, after a woman and her dog were stabbed with a knife near the Marine Drive Canada Line Station on Friday night.
B.C. is prioritizing gasoline and diesel for essential vehicles, while working to keep fuel available for people in B.C. Under the EPA, an order restricting the purchase of vehicle fuel in certain regions of the province is in place until December 14 at midnight.
A date has been set for the government to deliver its promised apology to victims of military sexual misconduct. The Department of National Defence announced Monday that the apology will be delivered on Dec. 13 and come in the three parts.
