Former premier Glen Clark vowed yesterday that he would be vindicated after two criminal charges, including breach of trust, were laid against him in connection with a casino licence application.
"I'm completely innocent . . . and I look forward very much to clearing my name," Mr. Clark told a crush of reporters shortly after RCMP announced the charges.
Nonetheless, the once high-flying, charismatic politician, who was B.C. premier from 1996 until the casino scandal forced him to resign in the summer of 1999, acknowledged he was shaken to the core.
"I've got a lot of emotions. I'm angry. I'm shocked. I'm disappointed," Mr. Clark said. "Obviously, there was a lot of pressure on the police to charge me and I guess it's come to pass . . . I am very, very disappointed."
The charges against Mr. Clark follow an 18-month police investigation into the circumstances of a charity casino licence application by his onetime friend and neighbour, Dimitrios Pilarinos.
Police alleged that Mr. Pilarinos did several renovation projects for Mr. Clark at his home and summer cottage in return for assistance with his licence application. The casino, to be owned by Mr. Pilarinos and business partner Stephen Ng, was to be in the North Burnaby Inn.
The application ran into opposition from Burnaby council, which would have had to rezone the site, and received low suitability marks from provincial gaming officials.But the application was given tentative approval by the government on Dec. 17, 1998.
It was killed several months later by Gaming Minister Mike Farnworth after a dramatic nighttime raid on Mr. Clark's home in connection with the police investigation into the licence.
Mr. Clark and Mr. Pilarinos are jointly charged with "fraud or a breach of trust in connection with the duties of an official of the Government of British Columbia, to wit, Glen David Clark, Premier, President of the Executive Council and Member of the Legislative Assembly."
Mr. Clark was further charged with accepting "a reward, advantage or benefit for himself" from Mr. Pilarinos "without consent in writing of the head of the branch of the Government of which he was an official." Conviction on either charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Mr. Pilarinos is facing nine criminal charges, including offering Mr. Clark "a reward, advantage or benefit, to wit improvements to real property, as consideration for co-operation, assistance or the exercise of influence in connection with the granting of a casino licence."
The former contractor was also charged with influence-peddling and offering Mr. Clark a 15-per-cent interest in the proceeds of the casino if the application succeeded. In wiretap transcripts released to the public earlier this year, Mr. Clark rejects the suggestion.
Mr. Pilarinos appeared briefly in B.C. Supreme Court yesterday to answer the charges. He and Mr. Clark were both ordered to appear in court Nov. 17.
The so-called "casinogate scandal" has dogged Mr. Clark and the NDP since RCMP officers, armed with a search warrant, showed up at his house on a raid captured by local TV news.
Although Mr. Clark has denied any wrongdoing, he stepped down as premier Aug. 21 last year after it was publicly confirmed he was under criminal investigation by the RCMP.
The decision to proceed with criminal charges against Mr. Clark and Mr. Pilarinos was made by independent special prosecutor Martin Taylor after reviewing evidence compiled by a full-time, six-member RCMP squad.
RCMP spokesman Grant Learned said the police investigation is continuing. He said Mr. Clark was treated no differently than anyone else under police investigation.
"The RCMP applies the same investigative approach to all criminal investigations in B.C. without regard to the persons involved or the positions they hold."
Mr. Clark said he also felt relief at finally being charged, since the matter has been hanging over his head for so long.