A provincial court judge has found former MHA and cabinet minister Jim Walsh guilty of fraud over $5,000 and breach of trust, saying Walsh's explanations of his improper constituency allowance claims lacked credibility and logic.
Judge David Orr found Walsh not guilty of a third charge - the allegation that he paid kickbacks to a House of Assembly official.
Walsh will be back in court for sentencing on Jan. 6.
The former Liberal MHA sat stoically as Orr read through his hour-long decision.
Neither Walsh nor his defence lawyer, Vernon French, had any comment after the verdict.
Crown prosecutor Frances Knickle said she was not surprised.
"I'm very pleased with the decision," Knickle told reporters. "It's evident from Judge Orr that he was well aware of the intricacies and complexities of the evidence."
This morning's verdict brings to a close a trial that spanned seven months, with a total of 27 days of testimony.
The charges against Walsh related to excess claims totalling $159,316 from his taxpayer-funded constituency allowance between 1998 and 2004.
Walsh acknowledged receiving the extra cash, but said he did so unknowingly and blamed the system of controls in place at the legislature during the House spending scandal era.
He becomes the fourth former MHA convicted in relation to the constituency spending scandal, which rocked provincial politics when first uncovered by the auditor general in 2006.
Subsequent police investigations have led to charges being filed against six people, to date.
More to follow, and full coverage in Tuesday's print edition of The Telegram.
Update: Walsh guilty on two of three counts
Former MHA and cabinet minister Jim Walsh appears in provincial court this morning. Photo by Keith Gosse/The Telegram
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Published on
December 7, 2009
- Published on June 30, 2010
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Staff ~ The Telegram
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Comments
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- Frank M
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:04:54
I wonder if he will be sent to the same country club that Ed Byrne was and will get out early as well!
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- Don
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:54:37
There is a God after all.
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- Donna
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:44:23
do any of the three have to repay back what they stole
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- Frank M
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:54:31
I wonder if he will be sent to the same country club that Ed Byrne was and will get out early as well!
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- Don
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:40:26
There is a God after all.
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- Donna
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:23:15
do any of the three have to repay back what they stole
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