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."
In a landmark 2013 decision, the Supreme Court declared the provision against living on the avails of sex work to be overbroad and in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For instance, the law criminalized actions, such as working as a bodyguard, that could enhance the safety of sex workers.
Henry Braun said Friday that ultimately, the entire dam may have to be rebuilt to a higher standard to protect a major farming area called Sumas Prairie, which suffered extensive flooding as water gushed in from the Nooksack River from neighbouring Washington state.
As of Nov. 30, fully vaccinated travellers who can enter Canada by right won't be required to obtain a molecular test for COVID-19, such as a PCR test, if they've been in the United States for less than 72 hours, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference.
Top of that list was what Anand described as significant and lasting change to the Canadian military's culture as the Armed Forces faces a crisis of confidence following complaints of inappropriate and in some cases criminal sexual behaviour involving senior officers.
The Department of National Defence says 22 people were treated for injuries in an explosion Thursday at a Canadian Forces base on Vancouver Island. One person remains in hospital, while all others, including 16 military members and six civilians, were treated and released after the blast at 19 Wing Comox.
Investigators have determined that there were two male suspects involved, one who stole the vehicle with the baby and a second suspect who was driving a secondary vehicle. The secondary vehicle was a black Mercedes SUV.
