Indigenous leader pleads not guilty to historic sex charges

An Indigenous leader and former British Columbia cabinet minister has pleaded not guilty to sex charges dating back more than 40 years. The plea was entered on behalf of Ed John, a former leader of the First Nations Summit, in Prince George provincial court on Wednesday in response to four counts of having sexual intercourse with a female without her consent. The charges against the 71-year-old relate to incidents alleged to have occurred in the Prince George area between May and September 1974 involving one person. The case is scheduled to return to court on July 16 to fix a date for a preliminary hearing. John served in former New democrat premier ujjal dosanjh’s cabinet as minister of children and families from November 2000 to June 2001.