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."
Dan Wicklum says the net-zero advisory body authored a report summarizing what other groups in Canada and beyond have said about ways to neutralize carbon-related emissions by 2050.
A group of gunmen killed Moïse and wounded his wife in their home early today, inflicting more chaos in the Caribbean country already enduring an escalation of gang violence, antigovernment protests and a recent surge in COVID-19 infections.
An 11-month-old has been killed and the infant's father injured after they were hit by one of two vehicles that collided in downtown Vancouver. Police say the pedestrians were hit as an SUV and a sports car collided Tuesday night.
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. says it plans to buy back up to $1 billion worth of its shares. The forestry company says it is conducting a "modified Dutch auction" with a tender price range of $85 to $98 per share.
Canadian Pacific Railway says in a statement that mainline operations resumed Monday after safety inspections were completed of the tracks and infrastructure.
