'I have never been questioned by the RCMP,' says former B.C. solicitor general

After stepping down as B.C.'s solicitor general, John Les said he did not know he was the subject of an RCMP investigation involving allegations of improper conduct during his time as mayor of Chilliwack.

Les held a press conference in his Chilliwack constituency office Friday night after announcing that he had stepped down as the province's solicitor general while under investigation.

"I'm not sure what the allegations are," he said. "I learned this afternoon that I'm apparently part of an investigation into issues in Chilliwack City Hall apparently dating back to the time when I was mayor."

CBC News reported earlier in the day Friday that special prosecutor Robin McFee had been appointed on June 28, 2007, to oversee the RCMP investigation involving Les and an undisclosed number of former municipal officials in the Fraser Valley community.

The provincial government did not reveal that information until CBC News made inquiries on Friday.

'I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I'll be cleared. I know I have done nothing wrong.' — John Les

Neil Mackenzie, a spokesman for the province's criminal justice branch, said as part of that investigation, police are looking into whether Les improperly benefitted from any commercial transactions involving land developers when he was mayor.

"I have no details. I have never been questioned by the RCMP. I only became aware today that I am part of that investigation," Les said at the press conference.

Les was a Chilliwack municipal councillor for three years before serving as mayor from 1987 to 1999. He was elected to the provincial legislature to represent the riding of Chilliwack-Sumas in 2001, and became solicitor general after being re-elected in 2005.

Opposition Leader Carole James called it "disturbing news" that Les has been under investigation since June and yet the public only found out about it on Friday after an exclusive CBC News report.

"It's a very big blow to the government and there'll be a lot of questions for [Premier] Gordon Campbell," said James, leader of the New Democratic Party.

"Did he know? Did anyone in government know? Why was the public not told, most importantly?"

Les said he was unaware of the investigation until the media contacted him for comment late Friday afternoon.

"With that knowledge, I phoned the premier [Gordon Campbell]. I said, 'Here's an issue. In the circumstances, the only thing for me to do is to step aside while this issue is dealt with,'" he said.

Campbell agreed that stepping down would be the right thing to do under the circumstances, Les said.

'Did anyone in government know? Why was the public not told, most importantly?' — NDP Leader Carole James

James questioned whether Campbell knows what's going on with his cabinet ministers.

"If he didn't know about this, what else doesn't he know about that's going on in his government?

"I think that raises just as many questions as the fact that he may have known and not asked him [Les] to step down," she said.

Les vows that he will clear his name

Independent special prosecutors are appointed in politically sensitive cases to determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

The government said McFee's mandate includes:

• Offering independent legal advice to police investigators.
• Conducting an independent charge assessment based on any investigation report the police submit to him.
• Providing the assistant deputy attorney general with a written report setting out his charge assessment decision.
• Conducting the prosecution and any subsequent appeal if, in his view, a charge is warranted.

Les said he's confident his name will be cleared when the investigation is complete.

"I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I'll be cleared. I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.