Deletion of gas-plant emails illegal act to keep sensitive info secret: Crown
TORONTO — The deletion of thousands of documents related to the politically explosive decision to cancel two gas plants near Toronto was a deliberate act that breached the public trust, the trial of two former top aides in the Ontario premier’s office heard Friday.
The long-awaited and delayed trial began with the prosecution outlining the case against David Livingston and Laura Miller, and the defence chipping away at whether a critical Crown witness could be qualified as an expert.
Livingston, the chief of staff to former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, and Miller, his deputy, have pleaded not guilty to charges of breach of trust, mischief, and unlawful use of a computer.
In her unproven opening statement, prosecutor Sarah Egan said the accused were responsible for the “double deletion” of sensitive emails about the power plants as a way to keep them secret and thwart the public’s right to accountability and transparency.