Edward John, Hereditary Chief of the Tl’azt’en Nation is facing 4 charges of having sexual intercourse with a female person without her consent.
The alleged offences date back to 1974 in Prince George, B.C.
According to the B.C. Prosecution Service Michael Klein was appointed special prosecutor on February 22 of this year.
The appointment of a Special Prosecutor is intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as a prominent Indigenous leader.
John served 11 consecutive terms as an elected leader on the First Nations Summit Political Executive.
His first court appearance will be scheduled for December 10 before a Prince George Provincial Court.
