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."
The mayor of a city heavily impacted by flooding in southern British Columbia says farmers who stayed with their animals desperately need water for livestock. Henry Braun said Thursday that water levels in Abbotsford continue to fluctuate in the Sumas Prairie area two days after an evacuation order was issued.
A late-night evacuation passenger train carrying about 200 people stranded for days by British Columbia's mudslides and floods left Hope for Vancouver Wednesday. Jonathan Abecassis, a spokesman for Canadian National, said the emergency evacuation train was expected to arrive in Vancouver shortly after 10 p.m.
The Canadian Armed Forces has been called in to help with recovery efforts in flood-stricken B.C., with the provincial government declaring a state of emergency. The military will provide both air and land support for critical provincial supply chains and in evacuation and rescue efforts.
Repairing the British Columbia highways washed out by heavy rains and flooding will be complicated by the scale of the damage, the terrain and the coming winter, building experts say.
Starting Nov. 22, those wishing to access buildings in the parliamentary precinct, including elected members, will need to be fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
The medical association is also calling on social media companies to address harassment and threats made on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
