Colin Basran, a former mayor of the city of Kelowna, has been charged with sexual assault.
On Wednesday, the B.C. Prosecution Service announced a single charge of sexual assault has been laid against Basran for an alleged incident that occurred in Kelowna in May 2022 when he was still mayor of the Okanagan city.
The investigation into the alleged sex assault was led by the Kelowna RCMP, which turned over the file to the Nelson Police Department for an independent review, before the case was sent to the Crown.
Brock Martland, a Vancouver lawyer in private practice, was appointed special prosecutor in this case.
Special prosecutors are appointed in the case 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 an elected municipal official.”
Details of the allegations were not made public. Basran’s first court appearance is Jan. 24, 2023 in Kelowna.
He ran for re-election in the October municipal election but lost his seat to current mayor Tom Dyas.
