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."
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the government predicts it could take two years to fulfil its promise of bringing 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. The minister said the government is facing challenges in Afghanistan and other countries where refugees have fled but is trying to get them to Canada urgently.
The Royal Canadian Air Force issued a statement saying Sikorsky Aircraft, the U.S.-based manufacturer of the aircraft, has devised a fix that involves the installation of reinforcements to provide additional strength to the helicopter's airframe.
Jay Chalke's report says the 60-year-old woman had the money to cover the tax bill but personal challenges made it difficult to pay and the City of Penticton sold the home in 2017 for $150,000, costing her about $270,000 in equity.
Surrey RCMP were called at 8:40am on Wednesday in relation to a man barricading himself inside a home in the 14100-block of 114A Avenue. The male is in police custody and has been arrested under the Mental Health Act. He has been transported to local hospital.
Government officials from 110 countries, including Canada, as well as business leaders and civil-society advocates and activists will gather for a two-day virtual "Summit for Democracy" aimed at slowing the march of authoritarianism.
The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate target on hold at its rock-bottom level of 0.25 per cent. In a statement, the central bank also said Wednesday it doesn't expect to raise the trendsetting rate until some time between April and September next year, which is unchanged from its previous guidance.
