Almost four years after a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board was charged with breach of trust and knowingly making or accepting a bribe, his trial has started — sort of.
Stephen Ellis, a Toronto-based member of the IRB, allegedly offered to help a South Korean woman with her immigration claim in exchange for sexual favours.
Although Ellis was scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Monday morning, when the case was called, he couldn't be found.
The judge issued a bench warrant for Ellis's arrest. However, he showed about half an hour later.
The court was adjourned until Friday morning while the judge considered what to do next.
In October 2006, the 47-year-old former Toronto city councillor was charged by the RCMP with breach of trust and knowingly making or accepting a bribe or other benefit in respect to a refugee application.
The South Korean woman alleged Ellis dropped by the restaurant where she worked several times and asked to meet her for coffee.
Because she felt wary about his request, she and her boyfriend surreptitiously recorded the meeting at an outdoor café.
The boyfriend videotaped the encounter from across the street while the woman recorded audio from a device in her pocket.
Source : CBC News
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