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."
There are 6,317 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 178,980 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 328 individuals are in hospital and 138 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Metrotown station has been closed down by Transit Police and Burnaby RCMP are on scene there are reports of a shooting along with unconfirmed reports of a pipe bomb. Burnaby RCMP has taken to Twitter to with various updates regarding the incident.
This investigation spanned international borders and the New Westminster Police Department extends its appreciation to all police agencies who provided assistance, namely the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation Unit and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) said it is shocked that Trudeau “ducked out entirely” from a national day set aside to reflect on the legacy of residential schools.
A statement from his family says he died peacefully on Sept. 30 from complications related to Parkinson's disease. Owen served in various elected roles in Vancouver from 1978 to 2002, including the last nine years as the city's mayor.
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has reinstated his decision to subject a thermal coal mine expansion in Alberta to a federal review after a court ordered him to rethink it. Wilkinson said the Alberta First Nation whose objections led to the court order concerning the Vista mine project have now withdrawn their concerns.
