Saturday, March 29, 2008

'I have never been questioned by the RCMP,' says John Les

CBC NEWS
After stepping down as B.C.'s solicitor general, John Les said he did not know he was the subject of an RCMP investigation involving allegations of improper conduct during his time as mayor of Chilliwack. Les held a press conference in his Chilliwack constituency office Friday night after announcing that he had stepped down as the province's solicitor general while under investigation. "I'm not sure what the allegations are," he said. "I learned this afternoon that I'm apparently part of an investigation into issues in Chilliwack City Hall apparently dating back to the time when I was mayor." CBC News reported earlier in the day Friday that special prosecutor Robin McFee had been appointed on June 28, 2007, to oversee the RCMP investigation involving Les and an undisclosed number of former municipal officials in the Fraser Valley community. The provincial government did not reveal that information until CBC News made inquiries on Friday.

Neil Mackenzie, a spokesman for the province's criminal justice branch, said as part of that investigation, police are looking into whether Les improperly benefited from any commercial transactions involving land developers when he was mayor. "I have no details. I have never been questioned by the RCMP. I only became aware today that I am part of that investigation," Les said at the press conference. Les was a Chilliwack municipal councillor for three years before serving as mayor from 1987 to 1999. He was elected to the provincial legislature to represent the riding of Chilliwack-Sumas in 2001, and became solicitor general after being re-elected in 2005.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The goings on Re Mr Les the RCMP investigation RE his closeness to developers and the profits he may have shared in as Mayor should be a warning to all Mayors who are being directed by developers in their policy making and therefore placing themselves in a perceived or real conflict- of -interest situation they place themselves in!
THEY HAVE BEEN PUT ON NOTICE!!