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 is a road closure in effect on 82 Avenue between 128 Street and 124 Street. The roadway is expected to be closed for some time as the Integrated Forensic Identification Service collects evidence in the area.
There are 5,850 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 165,027 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 281 individuals are in hospital and 135 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the advice applies to people 12 and older whose immune systems are compromised for a variety of reasons like being treated for a tumour or having an untreated HIV infection that has advanced.
It is out of character for Siasat Cheema to be out of contact, and police and family are concerned for his well-being. Siasat Cheema is described as a 30 year old, South Asian man, 6 ft., 199 lbs., with black hair and a short beard. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
Right off the bat, the role of the moderator, Shachi Kurl, came under fire, with Blanchet taking umbrage at what he termed her suggestion that Quebec is racist.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was early out of the gate on Friday morning, holding a news conference in Ottawa to tout his party’s platform before flying to British Columbia where he was scheduled to vote in advance polls on the first day they open.
