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."
On December 2, 2021 a Richmond RCMP frontline officer was attempting to arrest a man for an alleged theft when the man allegedly assaulted the officer. During the attempted arrest, a struggle on the ground ensued. Prior to additional officers arriving, the man was able to break free and run from the area on foot.
Officers found 27 teenagers crammed inside a party bus with a dance floor. The bus had been hired to take the teens downtown for a 17-year-old’s birthday party. VPD officers are now recommending 27 counts of failing to provide a chaperone for passengers under 19, allowing open liquor in a vehicle, and operating with too many passengers.
The robbery occurred around 6 p.m. on December 3, as holiday shoppers were visiting the Dunsmuir Street retailer. The suspect, who was masked, entered the store and deployed a cloud of bear spray, then walked over to a display rack and stole a $1,800 purse, before exiting the store and walking east on Dunsmuir to Seymour Street.
The federal government is extending, and slightly expanding, a travel exemption for Canadians trying to return home from South Africa. Earlier this month, the government lifted a requirement for Canadian travellers from South Africa to have a negative COVID-19 molecular test result in a third country before coming to Canada.
The University of Victoria in British Columbia will not be holding any further in-person exams this month. The school said its instructors have been asked to offer alternative exams online or in another format.
Canada is expecting a potentially massive surge in cases in the coming weeks, driven by the new Omicron variant already spreading through communities, said Dr. Theresa Tam. While COVID-19 might be with us for many years to come, Tam is optimistic the pandemic could end in the foreseeable future.
