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."
Charges have been laid against a 22-year-old Abbotsford resident and a 21-year-old Calgary resident after a joint investigation into a robbery series that occurred in Surrey, Langley, and Abbotsford. Between October 2, 2021 and October 11, 2021, three robberies in three different jurisdictions occurred.
RCMP on Vancouver Island say a 27-year-old man has been charged with one count of second-degree murder following a slaying in Langford, B.C. An unnamed woman was found dead in a home during a wellness check on Dec. 31.
In 2020, as many Canadians had hours cut or lost their jobs completely during repeated lockdowns and forced closures, the highest-paid 100 CEOs at publicly traded companies earned an average of $10.9 million. That was down from the record high of $11.8 million in 2018, but an increase of $95,000 compared with 2019.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined the ranks of Canadians who are rolling up their sleeves for COVID-19 booster shots. Trudeau received his third shot at an Ottawa pharmacy this morning.
The 23-year-old suspect was shopping at a Robson Street grocery store Monday morning when a staff member noticed he wasn’t wearing a mask. When the employee insisted the shopper mask up, the man allegedly pulled a knife, threatened the worker, then left the store without paying for his groceries.
Conditions along the north and central coast also feel as cold as -20 C due to the wind chill, while winter storm watches warn of up to 20 centimetres of snow over northern Vancouver Island and the central coast through Thursday.
