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 province says 550 cases were diagnosed this week in that age group from 14,295 total cases in the province between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1. Fifty-six of those children went to hospital, and four of them received critical care.
At 4:30 p.m. on October 29, VPD officers were called to a home near East 35th Avenue and Victoria Drive after an unknown man entered the home through the unlocked front door. The 89-year-old home owner was assaulted when he confronted the suspect. The suspect fled before officers arrived.
The Conservative opposition is calling on Liberal government to give urgent funding to Kabul safe houses that are providing refuge to 1,700 Afghan interpreters and their families. On Friday, those safe houses are set to close because the money keeping them open will run out.
"Canada can lead in the low-carbon world if we keep putting our investments, innovations and brain power behind ambitious climate action," Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a news release.
Veronica Baker, a spokeswoman for Saskatoon Public Schools, says a before-school program was taking place in the room when the unexpected visitor made its dramatic entrance.
Champagne says the two sides talked about how to strengthen cross-border supply chains, the potential role of Canada's critical-minerals industry and meeting shared climate goals.
