Richmond-Steveston MLA John Yap has been fielding some tough questions this week, after his name emerged on the no-contact list included in a former government staffer’s court case.
Yap — B.C.’s multiculturalism minister from March 2012 until his resignation in March 2013 — was one of 20 people Brian Bonney agreed to not have any contact with as part of conditions agreed to Tuesday when he was charged criminally with a breach of trust on the back of the 2013 “quick wins” ethnic outreach scandal inside Yap’s government department.
As he was the minister in charge of the department at the centre of his former communications director’s case, Yap was asked by media at the Legislature in Victoria on Wednesday how he felt about seeing Bonney charged with a breach of trust.
“This was the result of an extensive, long process, through the special prosecutor, independent from government, so we’d have to believe that it was a very thorough piece of work by the special prosecutor,” said Yap.
“We have to respect it, and I certainly do. And as far as commenting specifically, we really shouldn’t be commenting because it’s before the courts now.”
Asked if he found it concerning that the charge reflects badly on himself, Yap cited that Bonney was a “member of the civil service, and he was doing work that resulted in a review…”
“…that process revealed some of the issues. And subsequently the special prosecutor did the work. So, I have to say that we respect the process and the matter is now before the court. So, I really shouldn’t be commenting on it.”
When asked if he had any idea as to why his name was on Bonney’s no-contact list, Yap said he “saw a number of names on there. It’s public. I really have no idea why my name was on there. There were other names on there, as well.”
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Richmond News was unable to reach Yap for comment. However, when asked by the News if Yap has ever been interviewed by the RCMP in connection with Bonney’s charge, Ben James, the BC Liberal Government Caucus’ director of communications, said “no.”
Bonney, who once worked on Premier Clark’s leadership campaign, was charged with one count of breach of trust by a public officer, a charge that relates to a time period between Oct. 16, 2011 and Dec. 21, 2012, according to B.C. Provincial Court documents made available Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, three charges that Bonney, co-accused Mark Robertson and a numbered company were facing under the Election Act connected to allegations stemming from a by-election in 2012 were dealt after the numbered company, via a lawyer, entered a guilty plea to one count of making/accepting a political donation.
The company, which did business as Mainland Communications, was fined $5,000 and the remaining charges were stayed. Bonney was the president of the company.
The developments come almost three years after the RCMP, responding to a complaint lodged by the Opposition NDP, opened an investigation into allegations stemming from the B.C. Liberals’ controversial Draft Multicultural Outreach Plan — the so-called “quick wins” scandal — which sought, among other things, to use taxpayer-funded resources to drum up votes in targeted ethnic communities.
As well as Yap, Bonney is not allowed to contact: Michael Lee: A former executive assistant to Yap; Fiera Lo: A former B.C. Liberal party worker who became an assistant to Yap; Sarah Welch: A former ministerial assistant to Yap. She was found in an internal review to have breached her standards of conduct in the blending of ministry and partisan events.
-With files from the Vancouver Sun
