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."
Ken McEwan, a lawyer for Edward Rogers, argued in court this week his client used his authority as chair of the trust that has 97.5 per cent of the voting rights.
The Conservatives are the only federal party that has refused to disclose the vaccination status of its elected members. All the others say their MPs are fully vaccinated, save for one Liberal MP who has a medical exemption.
There are currently 4,451 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 200,749 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 438 individuals are in hospital and 130 are in intensive care.
British Columbia's government says it will introduce legislation in the spring aimed at giving homebuyers a chance to change their mind on the purchase of a home. The so-called cooling-off period would allow purchasers to back out with no or diminished legal consequences.
The Vancouver Art Gallery at the Chan Centre for the Visual Arts will be a multifunctional art centre and community space, promising to provide increased space to support artists and the region's cultural sector in British Columbia.
The officers were familiar with the man because he’s a suspect in dozens of other mischiefs in the downtown core. In fact, he was arrested earlier that same day after allegedly breaking a window at a business near Robson and Bute Street.
