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."
Alert Ready is a Canada-wide system that allows government officials to issue public safety alerts through major television and radio broadcasters, as well as compatible wireless devices.
Sajjan also wanted the military to upgrade the position less than two months after Maj. Greg McCullough was hired because the minister wanted even more support in his home riding in Vancouver, according to the notes, though that request did not become reality.
Sgt. Steve Addison says 13 incidents have occurred since early June involving threats to set fires, graffiti, paint splattering and rocks being thrown through windows at Christian churches in the city.
80.2% (3,717,929) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 56.9% (2,636,377) have received their second dose.
This evening, at 5:20 p.m., Burnaby RCMP frontline officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision at Duthie Avenue and Montecito Drive. Two people have died as a result of this collision. There were no other injuries.
