Suspended B.C. legislature officials deny ‘having committed any wrongdoing’

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – Two key B.C. legislature officials suspended with pay earlier this week are denying any wrongdoing and demanding their jobs back.

Craig James, the longtime clerk of the legislature, and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz say they still don’t know why they’ve been linked to an RCMP investigation requiring two special prosecutors.

RELATED: Criminal investigation linked to sudden paid leave for two key B.C. legislature officials

In a letter, the lawyer representing the two men, Mark Andrews, says his clients deny having committed any wrongdoing, noting they must be treated innocent until proven guilty.

“Neither of our clients were provided with any advance notice of this motion,” read a letter from the lawyers representing the former clerk and sergeant-at-arms. “Instead, immediately afterwards, they were ejected from the Legislature in what appears to have been a deliberately public and humiliating manner, on the basis of secret allegations.”

RELATED: Wally Oppal says B.C. Speaker was acting on advice over legislature suspensions

The letter goes on to say that the government has provided no explanation for this “extreme treatment,” adding the only thing his clients have been told is that there is an outstanding investigation.

“As a matter of basic fairness, they deserved to be told what it is alleged that they have done and to be given an opportunity to respond to those allegations,” wrote Andrews. “Time is of the essence if some of the damage to our clients and to public respect for the workings of the legislative assembly is to be undone.”

NDP House Leader Mike Farnworth introduced a motion to place Lenz and James on administrative leave at the end of question period on Tuesday.

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The Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the BC Prosecution Service assigned two Special Prosecutors after the RCMP made them aware of the investigation back in September.

But Wally Oppal, a special adviser to government Speaker Darryl Plecas, says due process has been followed.

“The Speaker was getting quite beaten up in the last two days. A lot of the comments that were made were unfair,” Oppal said. “The Speaker is an independent person. He’s in a quasi-judicial position. Everything he has said and done, he has told me he has done with sound, legal advice.”

Oppal added that the criminal investigation is complex and will take time to sort it all out.

Plecas shared his concerns with government house leaders who later determined James and Lenz needed to be temporarily dismissed on Tuesday.

Read the full letter:

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