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."
Surrey RCMP officers conducted a search of the area surrounding where the male was located. The Integrated Police Dog Service and Air 1 were utilized; however, the scene of shooting has not been confirmed.
Surrey RCMP General Investigations Unit has conduct of the investigation. Officers are in the area collecting evidence, including CCTV footage. The investigation is still in the early stages and a motive has not been determined.
Premier John Horgan said the complex at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's campus will help more than 12,000 full- and part-time students a year in 20 trades and technology programs.
There are 744 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 120 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, five new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,781.
Did you accidentally drop a significant amount of cash in the 400-block of Schoolhouse Street? Coquitlam RCMP is asking the rightful owner to come forward. On February 9, 2021, someone was walking near the 400-block of Schoolhouse Street, Coquitlam when they dropped a large sum of cash.
Over 2,000 Indian students, who face an uncertain future after three Montreal colleges closed last month by declaring bankruptcy, have demanded intervention by the Canadian government to give them justice. The CCSQ College, M. College, and CDE College had collected millions of dollars in tuition fees from these students before closing.
