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."
Nearly 89 per cent of eligible residents had received at least one dose of vaccine, while just over 82 per cent were fully vaccinated. Those under age 12 are not eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Canada, but the province confirmed over the weekend that it had opened up registration for younger children through the Get Vaccinated portal.
88.6% (4,107,666) of eligible people 12+ in BC have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. 89.1% (3,853,731) received their second dose. 7,937,214 doses of vaccine have been administered.
Union president Teri Mooring said Friday that it's up to the provincial government to take leadership at a time when cases among schoolchildren are climbing instead of relying on 60 school districts to come up with their own vaccine mandates.
TransLink, Metro Vancouver's transportation network, and the Insurance Corporation of B.C. have announced their workers must be fully vaccinated by November.
Economic Recovery Minister Ravi Kahlon says the numbers indicate B.C.'s recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic is gaining strength provincewide, with the Prince George, Okanagan and Cariboo areas posting the strongest gains.
On October 4, just before 7:30 a.m., the victim confronted two men who were actively removing the catalytic converter from her vehicle, which was parked near Renfrew Street and East 1st Avenue. The suspects deployed bear spray when the victim approached them. The suspects are still outstanding.
