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 party's constitution requires the creation of a committee to determine the rules and procedures to be used as members prepare to select a permanent replacement for Erin O'Toole.
Provinces must match the funding, and work with cities to more quickly increase the supply of housing. Freeland says municipalities need the financial help to manage the economic repercussions of the pandemic and maintain transit systems.
Canadians might not be known as fervent flag wavers like their U.S. neighbours, but the Maple Leaf’s display at protests on Parliament Hill and at border crossings has given some people pause, said Carmen Celestini, a post-doctoral fellow with the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University's school of communication in Burnaby, B.C.
An outstanding description of the male was given by the victim, leading to the man being identified. Toluwanimi Alausa was arrested and a Sexual Assault charge has been approved.
There are 762 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 121 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, 11 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,777.
