Splatsin band's new chief Doug Thomas.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED: Spaltsin
Republished August 03, 2022 - 4:46 PM
Original Publication Date August 03, 2022 - 12:48 PM
The Chief of the Splatsin First Nation has been caught drunk driving.
Chief Doug Thomas had his licence suspended for 90 days after he was stopped by the police and failed a roadside breathalyzer test. His truck was also impounded for 30 days.
Chief Thomas told iNFOnews.ca the incident happened over the July long weekend but wouldn't comment on how much he had had to drink before he was caught.
The chief said he was initially going to resign, but now he was going to bring the issue to the community.
"I'm going to bring it to the community because the Election Code and the Code of Conduct they're not pieced together very clearly and I'd rather leave it to the community," he said.
The Chief said a media release had been written up but iNFOnews has yet to receive it.
The Splatsin Election Code says a Chief shall be removed from office if they fail to maintain "conduct expected of a council member."
Chief Thomas was elected in January beating the incumbent Chief Wayne Christian by just five votes.
Splatsin councillor Bev Thomas refused to answer iNFOnews.ca questions about the Chief's drunk driving and seemed more concerned about how we obtained her phone than about Chief Thomas' illegal behaviour.
No other Splatsin councillor members returned our calls for comment.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 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, 2022