National

Former B.C. legislature clerk charged

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Dec, 2020 07:52 PM

The former clerk of the British Columbia legislature has been charged with four counts of breach of trust and two counts of fraud in excess of $5,000.

The BC Prosecution Service says two special prosecutors approved the charges against Craig James.

The BC Prosecution Service announced today that Special Prosecutors have approved charges following an investigation into the activities of senior staff at the British Columbia Legislature. #BCPS #BCPoli #Fraud #Crime pic.twitter.com/AGlazzxTJa
— BCProsecutionService (@BCProsecution) December 18, 2020

James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz were suspended from their jobs two years ago and retired in 2019.

Lenz and James have denied any wrongdoing since they were placed on administrative leave in November 2018.

The prosecution service says James was to make his first appearance on the charges in a Victoria court today.

After they went on leave, former legislature Speaker Darryl Plecas produced a report on allegations of misspending at the legislative assembly.

The RCMP said in November 2018 that it was investigating staff at the legislature, but it did not say who was the subject of the probe.

Its investigation was aided by the two special prosecutors, who have not commented on the case until the announcement of charges today. James will make his next court appearance on January 27,2021.

Photo courtesy of Istock.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Police need more than an unverified tip to avoid drug-case entrapment: top court

An unsubstantiated tip that someone is dealing drugs from a phone number doesn't amount to reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.

Police need more than an unverified tip to avoid drug-case entrapment: top court

Garneau says still no black boxes from Iran in January shootdown of airliner

Canada and four other countries are still trying to pressure Iran to release the flight recorders from its Jan. 8 shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Friday.

Garneau says still no black boxes from Iran in January shootdown of airliner

Statistics Canada says first-quarter GDP worst showing since 2009

Canada's economy had its worst quarterly showing since 2009 through the first three months of 2020, and may be headed to an even steeper drop, as steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced businesses to close and lay off workers.

Statistics Canada says first-quarter GDP worst showing since 2009

Trudeau acknowledges racial unrest in U.S.; 'We also have work to do in Canada'

America's anger, frustration and discord boiled over in Minnesota's Twin Cities on Friday at a remarkable moment in the history of the United States, sparked by the collision of racial injustice, freedom of expression and the worst public health crisis of the last 100 years.

Trudeau acknowledges racial unrest in U.S.; 'We also have work to do in Canada'

Another $650M in COVID-19 aid bound for Indigenous communities, Miller says

The federal government is planning to spend $650 million more to help Indigenous communities cope with the pandemic, after months of First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders saying the previous amount was inadequate.

Another $650M in COVID-19 aid bound for Indigenous communities, Miller says

Large cruise ships barred from Canadian waters until end of October: Garneau

The cruise-ship season in Canada is all but sunk as Ottawa extends its ban on large ships in Canadian waters until the end of October in an attempt to contain COVID-19.