news // 4 Liberal members face charges of misspending during elections » Party under fire following allegations «, Angela Espinoza BA News Editor & 4 ay q Minews @theotherpress.ca he BC Liberal government was under investigation last week regarding Elections Act offences from the 2012 Port Moody by-elections. Both Brian Bonney, previously the BC Liberal Party’s communications director, and Mark Robertson, director of field operations, are facing allegations of using tax money to help fund the Liberal Party campaign. Bonney and Robertson’s charges are related to the ethnic vote scandal that was revealed last year by the NDP. Although only Bonney and Robertson are facing charges, Liberal members Kim Haakstad and Trevor Halford, amongst others, were also involved with pre- planning. Those involved used personal and private email accounts to send documents (later obtained by CBC) to each other and plan accordingly, from as early as 2011. Last May, then-NDP incumbent candidate Mike : Farnworth told CBC, “This is : not government on government : time, this is political party work : : on the taxpayers’ dime. And : that’s wrong and they know : it. And that’s why they were : : using private email, so that they : : wouldn't be subject to freedom : of information.” Earlier this year in : March, Premier Christy Clark : committed to having members : of the Liberal Party repay : $70,000 spent regarding the : Election Acts scandal. Part : of the $70,000 was meant to : repay the government money : previously paid as part of : Bonney’s salary during that : time. Bonney and Robertson’s : current charges include fines : that can be as much as $10,000. The documents outlining the ethnic vote plan used : phrases like “quick wins” and : “swing votes” in order to help : secure higher ethnic voter : numbers. Some of these “quick : wins” included planning public : apologies for previous ethnic : wrongdoings by the province. Bonney and Robertson’s charges are for making and/or : accepting political contribution : and offence in relation to : apology were released by the : Liberal Party in response : to the charges and : allegations currently : being faced. : Included in the : statement: : 2013, the : party filed an : amendment to : reallocate the : expenditure, : which Elections : BC accepted. : Amendments are : permissible under : the act, and are : commonly filed : election expenses. According to : the Sun News Network, Bonney stated in the emails, “If need be, : offer X dollars per month to do : non-public work up to election’ Planning and money also went into the rebranding of : Dennis Marsden, who lost a : Liberal campaign. One Sepideh : Sarrafpour was paid to help : Marsden reestablish himself, : and Sarrafpour herself is : facing allegations that she also : contributed to the campaign : beyond advising. A public statement and “In December : by all parties. For example, : this year alone, the BC Liberals : [have] filed four amendments : and the NDP 50 to ’ +: their 2013 : returns.” Luka Magnotta juror selections start » Lawyers attempting to select 14 jurors from 1,600 =e », Angela Espinoza fF News Editor e = : ae q Mi news @theotherpress.ca ury selections for the Luka Jstsnot trial began in ontreal on September 8. Roughly 1,600 were initially selected, with the goal of trimming the number down to : 14 bilingual people (12 jurors and two substitutes). Magnotta caught the public’s attention on May 30, 2012, when he became a suspect in the grisly murder of Jun Lin, a Chinese international student. Magnotta filmed the murder, in which he dismembered Lin, and posted it online. After Magnotta mailed Lin’s body parts to several elementary schools and two political offices—including one addressed to Stephen Harper—Magnotta fled : the country. Magnotta was : eventually found and arrested : in Berlin in June of 2012, and : has been awaiting the trial : since. : The trial is set to begin on : September 22, and is expected : : to last six to eight weeks. Part of the reason the number of juror selections is so high is due to the need for jurors who have not pre-judged Magnotta. Hundreds have already backed out of serving as jurors, citing reasons from : previously formed opinions of : Magnotta to, as the Toronto : Sun reported, one’s inability to : stay awake. There is much concern over whether Magnotta will : receive a fair trial due to his : long and known history of : fame-seeking and creating : shock videos. The murder : of Lin is not the first time : Magnotta has caught the : public’s attention, having : previously been convicted for : credit card fraud. Magnotta : : has also tried out for numerous } : reality shows and created : dozens of online profiles. Criminal lawyer Michael Lacy spoke to CBC about the : complications of pre-judging : the accused. “You can ask : [jurors] if they’ve formed an : opinion about the guilt or : innocence of the accused that : would cause them not to be : impartial, and therefore they : cannot serve on the jury,” said : Lacy. theotherpress.ca Bonney and Robertson’s first court appearance is : scheduled to be October 14. “There's challenges here to getting a fair trial, obviously, : but those challenges are met : through various means the : criminal justice system has : developed to address those : types of issues.” In Canada, it is rare for : someone to have as known : a history as Magnotta’s prior ; toa major court appearance. : Finding unbiased jurors is : often possible, as well as : necessary, but in a case like Magnotta’s, the selection of : jurors is going to be difficult. Magnotta is charged with first-degree murder, : performing an indignity to : a body, publishing obscene : material, mailing obscene : material, and criminal : harassment of Stephen Harper. : Despite the recorded footage : of Lin’s murder, Magnotta is : pleading not guilty to all five : charges laid against him.