British Columbia Premier Christy Clark addresses a gathering in Vancouver, B.C. Wednesday, June 21, 2017.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Republished June 27, 2017 - 2:57 PM
Original Publication Date June 27, 2017 - 11:47 AM
KELOWNA - A Kelowna woman has been charged with threatening the B.C. Premier and the Speaker.
Special prosecutor Kris Pechet has approved charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm against Pavla Janeckova this morning, June 27, according to a B.C. Prosecution Service media release.
The threats are aimed at Premier Christy Clark and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and fellow Kelowna MLA Steve Thomson.
Janeckova allegedly threatened both politicians on April 30, 2017 in Kelowna, the release states.
She is scheduled to make her first appearance at the Kelowna Provincial Court on June 30, at 9 a.m.
The Prosecution Service says Pechet was appointed special prosecutor on May 3 and is "intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice in light of the nature of the allegations and the identity of the the subjects of the threats.”
Pechet said in an interview the alleged threats were left as recorded telephone messages at Clark's constituency office in her Kelowna West riding and at Thomson's constituency office in Kelowna-Mission.
Pechet said he would not provide specific details of the calls other than to say they involved an individual who is "upset with circumstances."
He said the calls also involved "a general view of how government is performing."
Pechet said the calls came during B.C.'s election campaign.
"Any time somebody who is running for office, it wouldn't have mattered who it is, but any time anybody's threatened who is in the midst of running for office, it really should be taken seriously in a democracy," he said.
Neither Janeckova nor her lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.
— With files from The Canadian Press
— This story was updated at 2:56 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, 2017 to add comment from special prosecutor Kris Pechet.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jenna Hickman or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2017