Russ Wyatt, the Winnipeg city councillor accused of sexual assault, was removed from city committees he sits on at a council meeting on Thursday.
The vote on whether Wyatt will be allowed to remain on the seven committees was passed with 14 votes to zero. This recommendation to remove the city councillor for Transcona was put forth by the executive policy committee — a group of city councillors who make up the mayor’s inner cabinet.
Wyatt was appointed to the committees last November. He sat on the standing policy committee on property and development, the Winnipeg food council, the Transcona Museum Board, the Winnipeg housing rehabilitation corporation and the city’s public library board.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said two other committees, one for Wyatt’s ward business improvement zone board and the Transcona Business Improvement Zone were “inadvertently missed.” He amended the motion and included them prior to Thursday’s vote.
“This is a very, very serious matter that is before the councillor. My recommendation is the councillor step away and deal with this matter privately,” Gillingham told reporters while the council was on recess, before the vote.
Get breaking National news
“Although the mayor and I might disagree on encampments and how we’re managing it, I think this is one thing we can agree on,” Coun. Cindy Gilroy said at the meeting.
“This isn’t an accusation. This is something that right now the courts feel there is enough evidence for it to go to a court,” she added.
None of the allegations against Wyatt have been proven in court.
Now, the city clerk is tasked with co-ordinating with the speaker to help determine who will fill the newly emptied seats.
Before the topic was formally brought forward, Wyatt excused himself from council chambers for its discussion and vote.
“I believe in the rule of law — and I believe that I am presumed innocent before the rule of law,” said Wyatt as he stood and spoke to the council.
“At the end of the day, we either believe in the rule of law or we don’t. And I want to believe in the rule of law still in this country – whether you (are) an elected official, a private citizen or a public citizen,” Wyatt told reporters on his way out of City Hall before the vote took place.
Wyatt described the item on the council’s agenda as a “partisan political attack.”
“I like to think that my colleagues can think of the rule of law – that one is still presumed innocent. That’s what’s at stake here,” he added.
Wyatt is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a man late last year. He was arrested and charged by the Winnipeg Police Service in March.
Winnipeg’s charter does not say city councillors who are charged with crimes must be removed from the regular council until the court delivers a verdict and sentence. Crimes punishable by five years or more of imprisonment meet the criteria for council to vote on if a member is allowed to sit in the chambers.
Sexual assault holds a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to the Criminal Code.
The councillor was also accused of sexual assault in 2018, which resulted in a stay of proceedings.
Comments
Comments closed.
Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
Please see our Commenting Policy for more.