Surrey mayor under renewed pressure to resign as newly released court docs discredit claims

Doug McCallum is facing increased pressure to resign as mayor of Surrey.

The pressure comes after Global News reported details of previously sealed court documents related to his public mischief charge. They were unsealed Friday after Global News launched a court challenge.

McCallum was charged with public mischief in December after contacting Surrey RCMP claiming he had been hit by a car on Sept. 4, 2021 in a Save-On-Foods parking lot.

“McCallum provided a version of events that has been partially disproved based on the statement provided (by the driver) … and the video surveillance obtained from the Save-On-Foods,” investigators stated, in part, in the documents.

The Information To Obtain documents are the basis for police obtaining search warrants in a case.

Surrey Coun. Jack Hundial, a former police officer, urged the embattled mayor to step aside.

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“This man needs to step down,” he said in an interview Saturday. “Voters and taxpayers are tired of this behaviour. It comes to be a black eye for the City of Surrey.”

As part of the investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for McCallum’s running shoes worn the day of the alleged incident. Production orders were also delivered for his medical records, surveillance videos at Save-On-Foods and the Peace Arch Hospital, along with media interviews.

Owen Bird lawyer DanBurnett said the ITO indicates officers viewed some footage in the case, and don’t believe it matches up with what McCallum has previously claimed.

2:42 Evidence released in public mischief case of Surrey mayor Doug McCallum

McCallum’s legal bills continue to be paid for by Surrey taxpayers.

“This is not right,” said Coun. Linda Annis on Saturday. “This is public money and the public deserves to know how much is being spent on these legal bills.”

Through his media relations officer, McCallum said he won’t comment on this story while the matter is before the courts.

McCallum is scheduled to be tried on the public mischief charge in October, two weeks after the next municipal election. None of the allegations have been proven in court and he has pleaded not guilty.