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 Canadian government on Monday, August 9th, amended the travel restrictions allowing all Americans who are fully vaccinated to enter Canada. The company expects to welcome American visitors at this time.
The area will be home to three future SkyTrain stations, including 152 Street, 160 Street and 166 Street. The plan will support the extension of the Expo Line SkyTrain to Langley and will better connect Fleetwood with the rest of Surrey and the Lower Mainland.
UPDATE: Surrey RCMP are providing an update that the 64-year-old man reported missing on August 12, 2021, was located deceased. Criminality is not believed to be a factor in the male’s death and the investigation is being turned over to BC Coroner Service.
On August 8, 2021, Andrea Gus was reported missing by a family member. Andrea has been contact with family since the initial report, but has not responded to messages since August 10, 2021.
