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."
Members of the public reported seeing an argument between two groups of males, which escalated into the use of pepper spray and then shots were fired. The males left the area in two separate vehicles prior to police arrival.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole's party started the day by questioning tax arrears that Liberal candidate Steven Guilbeault disclosed in a parliamentary ethics filing.
Upon arrival, officers located a 35 year old male suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower leg who has been transported to a local area hospital in stable condition with non life-threatening injuries.
Moderna applied for authorization for youth in early June, citing a clinical trial of 3,700 youth in which none of the teens who got two doses developed a COVID-19 infection.
In a news release, police say investigators have found that the car was travelling at a speed "significantly greater" than the posted limit. Emergency services personnel were called out early Saturday after a car hit a tree.
Canadian taxpayer dollars have funded various projects that she has worked on that were designed to raise the rights of women and girls over the last 20 years.
