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Speaker says 76-page report contains evidence on suspended officials

Speaker Darryl Plecas has authored a 76-page report outlining his concerns about the two senior legislative officers placed on leave amid a criminal investigation.
Plecas
Speaker Darryl Plecas arrives for the legislative assembly management committee meeting.

Speaker Darryl Plecas has authored a 76-page report outlining his concerns about the two senior legislative officers placed on leave amid a criminal investigation.

At a meeting this afternoon of the all-party committee that oversees financial management of the legislature, Plecas said he’s provided committee members with a copy of his report and the committee will have to decide whether to make it public.

“My strong view is that the entire 76-page report be made public,” Plecas said. “These are issues that affect British Columbians and there is a clear public interest.”

Plecas said the report contains evidence gathered to support his concerns about Sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz and clerk of the house Craig James. The senior managers of the legislature were marched out of the building under police escort on Nov. 20 following a unanimous vote by MLAs to place them on administrative leave while an investigation continued.

Neither the RCMP nor the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch have given any information on the allegations against the men, and Lenz and James have said they have no idea why they are being investigated.

The meeting went in camera while members considered a legal opinion about how to proceed and what information should be made public.

NDP house leader Mike Farnworth has strongly cautioned against the release of any information that could jeopardize the RCMP investigation.

At the Dec. 6 legislative assembly management committee meeting, Plecas, Independent MLA for Abbotsford South, railed about the need for full forensic audits to shine a light on alleged financial mismanagement in the two offices. He pledged to resign if the outcome of the audits did not make taxpayers “throw up.”

He said the Speaker’s office should also be audited and promised it would come out clean.

Plecas said “very serious concerns” were brought to him early in his tenure as Speaker “about certain activities that were taking place within the legislative assembly.” He said when he learned of the behaviour, which he believed was criminal in nature, he “felt a great duty to safeguard the integrity of this institution.”

However, he declined to answer questions from Polak as to whether the allegations relate to fraud.