Former mayor of Kelowna, Colin Basran, is facing one charge of sexual assault, the BC Prosecution Service has announced.
The BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) announced that on October 13, 2022, Brock Martland KC was appointed Special Prosecutor in relation to an investigation of a sexual assault alleged to have occurred in Kelowna in May 2022. The suspect was alleged to be Mr. Colin Basran, then the sitting mayor of Kelowna.
The Assistant Deputy Attorney General Peter Juk KC (ADAG) appointed Mr. Martland Special Prosecutor under section 7 of the Crown Counsel Act because he considered it in the public interest to do so. The appointment of a Special Prosecutor is intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected municipal official.
The investigation was conducted by the Kelowna RCMP Investigative Services Department and the investigative findings were independently reviewed by the Nelson Police Department before the Report to Crown Counsel was forwarded to the Special Prosecutor.
Martland is a senior Vancouver lawyer in private practice. He was given a mandate to provide legal advice to the RCMP investigators as may be necessary, conduct any related charge assessment, and assume conduct of the prosecution if charges were approved.
Martland has approved a single charge of sexual assault contrary to section 271 of the Criminal Code against Basran, whose first appearance on this matter is scheduled for January 24, 2023, in Kelowna Provincial Court.
Leave a Reply