Will Doug McCallum Still Run In October Given Outrage Over His Legal Bills Covered By Surrey Taxpayers!
Is Doug Paaji, aka Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum done after new details emerged that video evidence collected from the Save-On-Foods parking lot clearly shows that he was “not pinned” against a vehicle contrary to what he claimed, saying a driver ran over his foot outside the South Surrey grocery store on Sept. 4, 2021, during a dispute with a group opposing the city’s transition to a municipal police force. Global News reported Friday that while some redactions were made in the document that was unsealed on Friday, it states in part that “McCallum said in a statement that he was pinned up against his vehicle … The video surveillance shows McCallum was not pinned up against a vehicle.” Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis says McCallum’s claims about being run over and pinned against a vehicle, and documents and evidence just released by the court, appear to show real discrepancies that will make Surrey residents ask even more questions about the mayor’s version of things. Annis said she would like to see as much transparency as possible around the case and the alleged incident, and would like the mayor to also tell Surrey taxpayers how much his legal bill is to date. McCallum is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 31, about two weeks after the next municipal election. But many political observers believe that given the outrage from Surrey voters over the legal bills in the case, McCallum may decide to jump ship and not run in the October election.
By PD Raj – Senior Writer DESIBUZZCanada
With News Files
SURREY – Is Doug Paaji, aka Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum done after new details emerged that video evidence collected from the Save-On-Foods parking lot clearly shows that he was “not pinned” against a vehicle contrary to what he claimed, saying a driver ran over his foot outside the South Surrey grocery store on Sept. 4, 2021, during a dispute with a group opposing the city’s transition to a municipal police force.
Following a successful court challenge by Global News, a judge on Friday removed the seal on a sworn document, called an information to obtain or ITO, in which police detailed the facts of McCallum’s case in order to obtain a search warrant.
Coincidentally, it was in an interview with Global News two days after the incident, where McCallum alleged the driver “clipped my knee and my bottom leg and ran over my foot at the same time and then took off.”
Global News reported Friday that while some redactions were made in the document that was unsealed on Friday, it states in part that “McCallum said in a statement that he was pinned up against his vehicle … The video surveillance shows McCallum was not pinned up against a vehicle.”
Another section states: “McCallum said in his statement that after his foot was run over, he walked over … limping. … Surveillance video shows him walking in the same manner that he was walking prior to the incident.”
Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis says McCallum’s claims about being run over and pinned against a vehicle, and documents and evidence just released by the court, appear to show real discrepancies that will make Surrey residents ask even more questions about the mayor’s version of things.
“Finally, we are seeing and hearing some of the details,” said Annis. “If anything, Surrey residents are going to have even more doubts and questions about the mayor’s original comments when he alleged the incident took place. Meanwhile, the trial is scheduled for October 31, which means we’re going to go through the entire municipal election without having some resolution to this case. That’s got to have voters questioning their choice about who will lead our city in the years ahead.”
Annis said she would like to see as much transparency as possible around the case and the alleged incident, and would like the mayor to also tell Surrey taxpayers how much his legal bill is to date.
“This whole thing is an expensive embarrassment for our taxpayers,” added Annis. “It looks bad, and to make matters worse, Surrey residents are stuck paying Doug McCallum’s legal bills, without even knowing how much they are. The disregard for Surrey residents and taxpayers is so blatant, and just one more reminder that our city’s mayor continues to put himself ahead of the people of this city. The people of Surrey deserve better, and October 15 cannot come soon enough.”
Dan Burnett, a media lawyer with the firm Owen Bird, told Global News the document indicates that “the officers had viewed videotape — some of which they were still seeking, but they had viewed some — and the story on the videotape, the officers believed, did not match up with what Mr. McCallum was saying.”
Evidence in the case includes surveillance video from the Save-On-Foods, where McCallum went to finish his shopping after he claimed he was hit, and from Peace Arch Hospital, where he went after his shopping and got an X-ray, reported Global News.
A running shoe he wore that day is also evidence.
McCallum has pleaded not guilty to public mischief and has declined all comment on the case while it is before the courts.
Burnett said the release of documentation in the high-profile case is in the public interest.
“The principle of court openness has now been fulfilled in the sense that the public should have the entitlement to see what goes on in our courts,” he said.
McCallum is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 31, about two weeks after the next municipal election.
But many political observers believe that given the outrage from Surrey voters over the legal bills in the case, McCallum may decide to jump ship and not run in the October election.
