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."
There are currently 4,321 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 203,909 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 404 individuals are currently in hospital and 117 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Brar, who was first elected in 2004 and was re-elected in 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2020, will begin serving in this leadership role at the end of the fall legislative sitting.
A highly customized buoy, equipped with a wind turbine and a 3D laser-scanning system, will soon be launched off the Victoria-area coast to transmit live data.
The motorcycle rider, 29, was taken to hospital for serious, but non-life threatening injuries. He has since been released from hospital and is recovering at home.
Annamie Paul, the Green Party leader, has formally resigned and has also handed in her party membership. Paul says she has sent in a formal resignation letter to the Green Party, which follows her announcement in September of her plans to step down.
Although the country has recovered the three million jobs lost at the onset of the pandemic last year, the ranks of Canada's long-term unemployed remains well above pre-pandemic levels, and many people, particularly women, have dropped out of the labour force altogether.
