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 6,098 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 176,354 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 303 individuals are in hospital and 141 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Just after 4:30 a.m. on Friday, a man walked into the Tim Horton’s near Davie and Hornby and ordered a donut. As his order was being prepared, he pulled out a can of bear spray and sprayed the employee. The suspect was arrested for assault with a weapon and mischief over $5,000.
The government, Crown agency Innovate B.C., the Information and Communications Technology Council and Mitacs are spending a total of $29 million to create 3,000 jobs for those entering the technology sector this year.
The money is part of $12 million in funding the province announced in June after the discovery of what are believed to be the remains of more than 200 children at the site of the former residential school in Kamloops.
The driver of the vehicle, a 21-year-old male of Vancouver came to a stop after striking a parked car. He was arrested at scene, taken to a local hospital for minor injuries, later released, and will appear in court at a later date.
51 MPs, who lost their seats or decided not to stand again, qualify for a severance cheque worth half their salary — some $92,900 or more if they were a cabinet minister or chaired a committee.
