Ethics Newsline®

Special to Newsline from Canadian correspondent Errol P. Mendes

VANCOUVER
British Columbia premier Glen Clark resigned last week after it was revealed that he was under criminal investigation.

Press reports say Clark was charged with improper involvement in a casino license application by his next door neighbor, Dimitrious Pilarinos.

The premier denied any wrongdoing, but said he felt he could not continue in the job under such intense media scrutiny of the criminal investigations.

Police are probing whether Clark received free or underpriced home and cottage renovations in return for influence peddling in the casino license application.

Early this spring, police had raided the premier’s home in connection with these allegations.

On the eve of the premier’s resignation last week, a B.C. court released justification for the search warrant, including informant and police-surveillance evidence revealing numerous meetings between Clark and his neighbor, along with allegations that Mr. Pilarinos talked openly of the premier’s assistance with the license application.

Clark insists he was insulated from the decision on the license application and had paid in full for his home and cottage renovations.