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."
Officers in the West End re-arrested the 44-year-old thief Monday night, after he allegedly stole more than $730 in cosmetics from a department store on Robson Street. The man – who has 103 prior criminal convictions, including 38 for theft – was one of nine people arrested Monday as VPD continues to clampdown on shoplifters in the downtown core.
At 9:20 a.m., a bystander located the vehicle abandoned with the baby still inside the vehicle in the 5900-block of 177B Street. The baby was checked over by BC Emergency Health Services and was not physically injured. The family involved has been provided support through victim services.
The crime occurred around 9 p.m. Monday night, after a 40-year-old man tried to steal three tubs of ice cream worth just $21. When grocery store staff tried to stop the thief, two accomplices approached and flashed a gun, allowing the thief to run away.
The Mayors said a big obstacle for travellers still remains as when entering Canada, they must take a molecular test such as a PCR test, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies say they support Canada's announcement at the summit that it will cap and reduce pollution from the oil and gas sector toward net zero by 2050.
The booster is designed to help people with their first two COVID-19 vaccine doses maintain their protection against the virus over time. The booster is identical to the regular Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and is to be administered at least six months after the first two vaccine doses.
