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."
Staff at the school phoned the New Westminster Police Department to report that an unknown male exposed his genitals to a group of children on the school grounds. The suspect is described as a Caucasian man, between 40 to 50 years of age, standing 5’6” tall, with a medium build, balding dark hair, wearing a blue puffy jacket, dark blue jeans, and black shoes.
To further the investigation, the victim has been identified as 30-year-old Cody Corbett. Corbett is known to police. At this time, homicide investigators believe the stabbing was targeted and not random. There is also no known connection with the Lower Mainland gang conflict.
Police renewed warnings to downtown Ottawa protesters to get out of the parliamentary precinct Wednesday, this time with the federal Emergencies Act in their arsenal. Officers walked along Wellington Street handing out notices to protesters encamped there, telling them they "must leave the area now."
Canada and the United States ratified the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985 to manage cross-border harvesting,but it wasn't designed to deal with climate change and stocks that are in crisis, said Greg Knox, executive director of SkeenaWild Conservation Trust based in Terrace, B.C.
Inside the vehicle was a deceased female body that had sustained injuries consistent with homicide. The female victim was dentified as Bhavkiran (Kiran) Dhesi, 19 of Surrey.
Abbotsford Police Investigating a Homicide on Simon Ave. Victim is a 30-year-old male. Investigators are in the early stages. No information to suggest the public is at risk.
