Lawyer for former MP Rob Anders needs month to review evidence in tax evasion case
CALGARY
A court case involving former Conservative MP Rob Anders has been adjourned a month to give his lawyer time to review an extensive amount of material related to tax evasion charges against his client.
Court documents show that tax authorities allege Anders failed to report more than $750,000 in net income over five years.
He faces five charges, including tax evasion, some of which date back to his time as a member of Parliament.
Anders, 48, was elected as a Reform MP in 1997 and went on to represent his Calgary riding until 2015.
He did not appear in court in person Friday, but his lawyer, Paul Brunnen, asked for the matter to be adjourned until Dec. 18.
Anders has reserved his plea.
The government alleges that in 2012, 2013, and 2014 Anders under-reported his income, which led to multiple charges of making false statements on a tax return.
Prosecutors further allege that between 2012 and 2018, he evaded payment of taxes, and between 2012 and 2015 he claimed refunds or credits he wasn’t entitled to receive.
An application to obtain a search warrant for his Calgary home was filed in March 2013 by the Canada Revenue Agency and outlines some allegations in the investigation.
The charges stem from an audit in 2012 and 2013 that found reported net rental losses on properties in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario at the same time as there were “unexplained” deposits in Anders’s bank account. It’s alleged he understated his income by $750,000.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
In 2012, members of Parliament made about $157,000 a year, and by 2014 they were making about $163,000.