St. Mary's chief takes diversion route following sexual assault charge

On the day before the Assembly of First Nations' annual general assembly officially was set to begin in Fredericton, the chief of St. Mary's First Nation was busy rallying support to keep his name on the agenda amid a sexual-assault charge.

The lawyer for Chief Allan (Chicky) Polchies said his client was removed from the opening ceremonies by the First Nations Assembly executive council because of their zero tolerance policy toward sexual assault allegations.

Polchies is facing one count of sexual assault and one count of assault, both alleged to have taken place in Fredericton around March 2.

CBC News could not confirm whether Polchies's involvement in the three-day event has been diminished in light of the charges. The assembly did not respond to an interview request.

Polchies, who met with fellow chiefs from New Brunswick on Monday, issued a statement saying he will go through the post-charge diversion program. If completed, the diversion program allows charges to be withdrawn.

"An allegation has been made against me by a member of our community which I would normally take to court to prove my innocence due to my belief of the lack of evidence required to obtain a conviction," Polchies said in the statement.

"However, the offer of post charge diversion was made to me by the Crown Prosecutor's office which I have fully accepted." 

The adult diversion program was designed as an alternative to the court system "by holding eligible adults accountable for their actions at the community level while also linking them with required interventions to prevent future offending," states Public Safety Canada.

The Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly begins Tuesday with a pipe ceremony at St. Mary's First Nation, a reserve located within the city of Fredericton.