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."
Schools in British Columbia and Alberta reopened on Monday with health and education officials stressing the need for in-person learning. Schools in Saskatchewan returned the previous week as scheduled.
There are 35,943 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 251,846 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 646 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 95 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Grace Lore, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, says the change will reduce a barrier that two-spirit, transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people face when trying to change their identification documents.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Friday the wave has spread faster than previous ones and their research shows the top of the latest surge was likely reached last weekend.
The provincial government says B.C.-owned hotels or motels that employ more than 150 people, Indigenous-owned resorts on reserves with over 100 employees and tourism operators who hold tenure or BC Parks permits can all apply for grants.
Vancouver Police launched an investigation in 2019, after one person came forward and reported being sexually assaulted during laser hair removal appointments at Dermabella Clinic, located near Howe and Smithe streets. During the investigation, detectives identified a second victim who had allegedly been photographed while naked and receiving treatment at the clinic.
