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."
Kevin Falcon, who was elected party leader on Saturday, said Andrew Wilkinson has decided to resign his seat in Vancouver-Quilchena, clearing a possible path to the legislature.
There are 23,739 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 306,419 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 987 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 141 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
The Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) was consulted and Care and Treatment Zone area of the hospital was evacuated. The Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service attended and conducted a full sweep of surrounding areas.
VPD officers were on patrol when they spotted the suspect randomly kicking and punching people as she walked near Main Street and National Avenue on Saturday afternoon.
Amid blaring truck horns, the demonstration has included open fires, makeshift feeding stations, encampments and numerous — sometimes profane — anti-government signs.
Record rains combined with overflowing rivers in mid-November swamped farmland in several areas of southern B.C. and Vancouver Island. In the Sumas Prairie, a prime agricultural area in Abbotsford, water flooded barns, fields and homes.
