Peace bond approved in case of Nanaimo city manager after threat allegations

A peace bond has been approved in the case of Tracy Samra, the chief administrative officer at the City of Nanaimo, who was arrested over allegations of threats that were uttered at or near Nanaimo City Hall.

An application to have Samra bound by a peace bond was accepted by special prosecutor Michael Klein, the BC Prosecution Service announced Thursday. A court has yet to approve the application.

Klein was appointed to oversee the case in an effort to “avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice in light of the nature of the alleged incident and the identity of some of the complainants as elected municipal officials.”

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READ MORE: Nanaimo city manager faces charges over alleged threatening behaviour

Under section 810 of the Criminal Code, a peace bond can be issued on behalf of anyone who fears, “on reasonable grounds,” that another person might cause “personal injury to him or her or to his spouse or common-law partner or child or will damage his or her property,” or who fears another person might commit an offence under section 162.1.

A defendant can then enter into a “recognizance, with or without sureties, to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of not more than 12 months.”

The court has not yet ruled on the peace bond application. If Samra agrees to be bound by the terms of a recognizance, or if the court orders one to be issued, then “appropriate conditions would be imposed,” the BC Prosecution Service told Global News.

The maximum term of such a recognizance would be one year long.

The RCMP initiated an investigation into Samra after what the City of Nanaimo described as an “incident at city hall.”

It’s not clear what happened. But it came after a series of incidents connected to the municipal government there.

Samra had once accused ex-councillor Wendy Pratt of assaulting her; that related to an incident at a council meeting in February 2017.

• With files from Simon Little