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 Vancouver Park Board says a small number of coyotes are still believed to be in the park but they are not an immediate threat to the public. The park has been reopened to 24-hours a day.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that parents and teachers from across the province have let it be known they need to be informed about the transmission of the virus and that a new system is expected to be in place by the end of the week.
Of the active cases, 332 individuals are currently in hospital and 155 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
It was a political landscape virtually unchanged from mid-August, when Trudeau pulled the plug only two years into his minority mandate and sent Canadians to the polls in the hopes of riding a post-vaccine campaign high to secure a majority.
Mail-in ballots still need to be counted, but so far projections show the Conservatives finishing with 119 seats, compared to the Liberals with 158, returning the Grits to Parliament with a minority government.
A suspect vehicle was spotted near Armstrong and RCMP say they arrested one man. RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says more details about the identity of the victim will be released after further investigation and once relatives are informed.
