B.C.鈥檚 Solicitor General denies that a Vancouver-based businessman who played a key role in 性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum鈥檚 election campaign attended an official government meeting alongside the mayor in November.

性视界传媒 Councillor Jack Hundial raised the issue in council chambers Monday (Sept. 16), after he learned that online records list Bob Cheema as having attended a meeting with McCallum and Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth on Nov. 2, 2018, three days prior to the new 性视界传媒 council being sworn in.

However, the Solicitor General鈥檚 office told the Now-Leader via email Tuesday morning that the minister 鈥渄id not meet with Bob Cheema.鈥�

鈥淢r. Cheema鈥檚 name was referenced in the calendar as he was the one who reached out to book the meeting during the interim period that Mr McCallum was Mayor-elect,鈥� the statement read.

During Monday night鈥檚 council meeting, Hundial introduced a motion asking the mayor and city staff for details surrounding the 2018 meeting.

Hundial said he was made aware of the meeting by members of the public 鈥渨ho directed me to the publicly posted schedule for Mr. (Mike) Farnworth.鈥�

鈥淭hat of course raises concerns,鈥� Hundial told reporters after Monday night鈥檚 council meeting. 鈥淲hy is an unelected official attending on behalf of the mayor? And did he in fact attend or not? That鈥檚 another question we need to ask. If he didn鈥檛 attend, that鈥檚 fine. And there鈥檚 nothing wrong with that.鈥�

Hundial had asked why the mayor鈥檚 personal friend, with no official status with the City of 性视界传媒, would meet with the solicitor general, noting the topic of the meeting was listed as traffic fine revenue sharing.

After hearing Farnworth鈥檚 statement Tuesday, Hundial said he would 鈥渨ait for the corporate report and let staff complete their work.鈥�

鈥淭here is obviously a discrepancy of who attended and what is listed on the schedule,鈥� Hundial added.

In an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon, McCallum said the claim that Hundial made is 鈥渃ategorically false.鈥�

鈥淢r. Cheema has never been present at any meetings I鈥檝e had with the minister,鈥� McCallum鈥檚 statement added.

Cheema did not respond to the Now-Leader鈥檚 request for comment Tuesday morning.

READ ALSO: Businessman sues over tweets regarding his connection to 性视界传媒 mayor, policing plan

Cheema played a key role in McCallum鈥檚 last two election campaigns and the mayor-elect thanked the businessman in his acceptance speech last October, referring to him as a friend.

鈥淗e worked behind the scenes, all of those years and not only that during this campaign I do not think he slept at all for three months,鈥� McCallum said in his acceptance speech, 鈥渁nd he always always gave support and he is a person that I don鈥檛 agree with a lot of the times and I have told him that. But still he respects that and truly he is a friend of mine and he鈥檚 the reason I鈥檓 sitting here today. I want everybody to thank very much Bob Cheema.鈥�

Meantime, Cheema is suing former 性视界传媒 city council candidate Brian Young for defamation over a series of tweets regarding his connection to the mayor.

Several tweets are mentioned in Cheema鈥檚 suit, including six sent by Young from this past May and one from April.

鈥淒oug and Bob hide their hand picked police Chief who just happens to be a deputy chief at #vpd,鈥� one tweet alleges. Several refer to Cheema as 鈥�#backroombob.鈥�

鈥淭he Tweets are false and defamatory,鈥� Cheema鈥檚 suit states.

The civil claim states Young鈥檚 tweets implied Cheema was 鈥渦nethical, dishonest and of disreputable character鈥� and 鈥渆ncourages, facilitates and supports the abuse of power by elected representatives of the City of 性视界传媒.鈥�

It also asserts Young has implied Cheema 鈥渟upports the mayor of the City of 性视界传媒 in order to further his own financial interests.鈥�

In his response, Young quotes McCallum鈥檚 Oct. 20 election night speech, in which the mayor thanks Bob Cheema and states he has worked with Cheema for up to 45 years.

鈥淗e worked behind the scenes, all of those years and not only that during this campaign I do not think he slept at all for three months,鈥� McCallum said in his acceptance speech last October, 鈥渁nd he always always gave support and he is a person that I don鈥檛 agree with a lot of the times and I have told him that. But still he respects that and truly he is a friend of mine and he鈥檚 the reason I鈥檓 sitting here today. I want everybody to thank very much Bob Cheema.鈥�

In his reponse to the suit, Young argues the statements constituted a comment on a matter of public interest and were based on fact.

He claims that 鈥渙n or about August 2018鈥� Cheema told him he had already picked the chief of police.

鈥淭he Defendant made the tweet on an occasion of qualified privilege,鈥� Young鈥檚 response states. 鈥淭he Defendant has a legal, moral and social right, duty and interest as being involved in the Mayor鈥檚 campaign and possessing information relating to the 性视界传媒 Police transition.鈥�

Young denies the tweets caused actual loss, damage or expense to Cheema.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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