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2006-01-12 10:55:50 UTC
B.C. Tory candidate faces smuggling charges
Last Updated Thu, 12 Jan 2006 05:02:49 EST
CBC News
The federal Tories are standing behind a B.C. candidate who has been
charged with attempting to smuggle a car and booze across the U.S.
border last year.
Derek Zeisman is running to replace retiring Conservative MP Jim Gouk
in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior. The party only
found out about the six charges on Wednesday after being contacted by
the media.
Canada Customs and Revenue alleges Zeisman tried to smuggle a 1989
Mercedes Benz from the U.S. into Canada, as well as 112 bottles of
liquor in July 2004. He's also accused of lying to customs officers
about the incident.
If convicted, Zeisman could be fined by up to $50,000 and could face
six months in jail.
Zeisman, who is to appear in court next month, did not tell his party
about the charges, which he called "unjustified." He said the
information about him was leaked by someone in the government who had a
grudge against him.
Weisman has worked as a trade commissioner for Industry Canada and a
foreign service officer with the Canadian Diplomatic Corps.
Zeisman is currently in hospital because of a serious car accident just
before Christmas.
John Reynolds, the Tory campaign chairman, said the party intended to
stand by Zeisman and that the charges against him were only
"administrative" in nature.
"He will go to court, and he is still an innocent man until he goes
through this process," Reynolds told the Vancouver Province. "But even
at that point, it's not a criminal offence."
A candidate running against Zeisman for the NDP says he couldn't
believe the news.
"Shock and surprise! That was my first reaction," says Alex Atamanenko.
Atamanenko says he's alarmed voters were unaware of such a serious
allegation about a candidate, just weeks before the election. But he
also says it would have been far worse had Zeisman actually won the
seat, and the news came out afterward.
"There might have been a sense of betrayal, had that happened, and
that's not the right thing to do."
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/12/tory-candidate060112.html
Last Updated Thu, 12 Jan 2006 05:02:49 EST
CBC News
The federal Tories are standing behind a B.C. candidate who has been
charged with attempting to smuggle a car and booze across the U.S.
border last year.
Derek Zeisman is running to replace retiring Conservative MP Jim Gouk
in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior. The party only
found out about the six charges on Wednesday after being contacted by
the media.
Canada Customs and Revenue alleges Zeisman tried to smuggle a 1989
Mercedes Benz from the U.S. into Canada, as well as 112 bottles of
liquor in July 2004. He's also accused of lying to customs officers
about the incident.
If convicted, Zeisman could be fined by up to $50,000 and could face
six months in jail.
Zeisman, who is to appear in court next month, did not tell his party
about the charges, which he called "unjustified." He said the
information about him was leaked by someone in the government who had a
grudge against him.
Weisman has worked as a trade commissioner for Industry Canada and a
foreign service officer with the Canadian Diplomatic Corps.
Zeisman is currently in hospital because of a serious car accident just
before Christmas.
John Reynolds, the Tory campaign chairman, said the party intended to
stand by Zeisman and that the charges against him were only
"administrative" in nature.
"He will go to court, and he is still an innocent man until he goes
through this process," Reynolds told the Vancouver Province. "But even
at that point, it's not a criminal offence."
A candidate running against Zeisman for the NDP says he couldn't
believe the news.
"Shock and surprise! That was my first reaction," says Alex Atamanenko.
Atamanenko says he's alarmed voters were unaware of such a serious
allegation about a candidate, just weeks before the election. But he
also says it would have been far worse had Zeisman actually won the
seat, and the news came out afterward.
"There might have been a sense of betrayal, had that happened, and
that's not the right thing to do."
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/12/tory-candidate060112.html