After being accused and charged for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a female without her consent over 45 years ago, British Columbia Indigenous leader Edward John has pled not guilty in court.
It was announced in November that John had been charged with four counts of having intimate relations with a female without her consent in 1974 and the case being appointed a special prosecutor to manage allegations.
BC Prosecution Service spokesperson Dan McLaughlin confirmed to PrinceGeorgeMatters that John entered a not-guilty plea to the charges and has elected to be tried by a Supreme Court Judge and jury.
McLaughlin added the matter has been adjourned to July 16 before the Judicial Case Manager to fix a date for the pretrial conference and Preliminary Inquiry.
John is the Hereditary Chief of the Tl’azt’en Nation near Fort St. James, roughly 215 km northwest of Prince George.
The alleged incidents are to have happened in and around the northern capital involving one person.
Michael Klein QC, a private practice lawyer from Vancouver was chosen to manage the prosecution to “avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice,” considering John’s prominent stature.
Klein approved the four counts against John for incidents that are alleged to have occurred between Mar. 1 and Sept. 15, 1974.
John completed his 11th consecutive term as an elected leader of the First Nations Summit's political executive in June.
He did not seek re-election, but continued as an advisor on contract with the organization, one of the largest Indigenous organizations in the province.
The First Nations Summit declined to comment, but issued a statement saying it will fully co-operate with the RCMP, prosecution service or other investigating bodies.
It has suspended John's contract pending the outcome of the legal case.
- with files from Colin Dacre, Castanet, Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters and The Canadian Press
