Justice review ‘normal action’

As part of what a provincial spokeswoman calls a “normal course of action,” the Ministry of Justice’s public prosecutions division is examining a governmentordered report into the Rural Municipality of Sherwood’s handling of Wascana Village.

The government was slim on details Tuesday as to what that might mean. Government spokeswoman Kathy Young wrote in an email that, “(Government Relations) Minister (Jim) Reiter wanted to ensure the review into Wascana Village was a thorough review. And as such, the report is being reviewed by many officials including some in the Prosecutions Branch. That would be what we consider a normal course of action.”

The public prosecutions division deals with offences covered by the Criminal Code, provincial statutes and some federal regulations.

When contacted Tuesday, the RM of Sherwood’s chief administrative officer Ron McCullough had not heard of this latest development. Reeve Kevin Eberle and deputy reeve Tim Probe could not be reached for comment.

The government report has been kept behind closed doors since the end of December, when inspector Ron Barclay delivered it to the Ministry of Government Relations.

On Jan. 12, the RM of Sherwood responded to the report, saying that it did not fully understand legal advice about disclosure requirements related to the reeve owning land on which Wascana Village is to be situated. Last week, Sherwood’s council refused Eberle’s resignation.

Young could not say when the government would go public with the report’s findings.