Criminal charges against former senator Mac Harb dropped
Posted May 20, 2016 6:52 am.
Last Updated May 20, 2016 7:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Charges of fraud and breach of trust have been dropped against former senator Mac Harb, a Liberal appointee and central figure in the Senate expense scandal whose housing expenses were deemed unjustifiable by the upper chamber.
One month after the sensational acquittal of Sen. Mike Duffy, prosecutors made it official Friday that Harb, 62, would not face a criminal trial because the Crown did not see a reasonable prospect of conviction.
The charges stemmed from living expenses Harb, a one-time Liberal MP from Ottawa, filed for a secondary home in the city while claiming his primary residence was far from the national capital.
A Senate audit raised doubts about the veracity of his claims and Harb ended up repaying the Senate about $231,000 in housing expenses going back years.
Harb, who retired from the Senate in 2013, had been set to face a criminal trial later this year.
Last month, Duffy had 31 criminal charges dismissed against him, including fraud, breach of trust and bribery stemming from his expense claims.
