Tuesday February 12, 2013 (Vol. 38 No. 13)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
S U R R E Y
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Good fortune: Parents at Semiahmoo Trail Elementary hosted a variety of activities to share traditions and help bring students of all backgrounds closer together. › see page 13
Legal problems for former federal MP
Dhaliwal drops provincial bid Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Longtime Surrey politician Sukh Dhaliwal has stepped down from his run with the BC Liberals, the day after it was revealed he faces six charges under the Income Tax Act. The former Surrey MP was the party’s candidate for Surrey-Panorama in the May election. Friday, he called a news conference and announced that afternoon, before a crowd at the Grand Taj Banquet Hall in Newton, that he was withdrawing from the race. Dhaliwal is facing six charges under the Income Tax Act for failing to file returns for a company for which he was responsible. “The last two days have been extremely difficult for me and my family,” Dhaliwal told reporters Friday. “I want to make sure I take care of the outstanding matters that are before the courts.” He said in no way did the BC Liberal party push him to make the
Kevin Diakiw photo
Sukh Dhaliwal faces media Friday.
decision to step down. “Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s my decision, it’s my family’s decision, and that’s what I’m making.” Dhaliwal is president of Genco Consultants Inc., the firm that allegedly failed to file tax returns for six years. › see page 2
Woman charged with fraud
ID theft leads to car purchase Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Aroma therapy
Sarah Massah photo
Aspiring chef Dale Maternick, 10, can add another line to his future resume, after cooking alongside famed chef Vikram Vij, who brought the fragrant spices of South Asian cuisine to South Surrey last week to support breast-cancer fundraiser Nite of Hope. See page 11.
What’s your New Year’s resolution? How about eating more fruits and veggies?
See page 4 For more information, please visit www.kinsfarmmarket.com/greenfighters
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A Surrey woman accused of assuming a resident’s identity and using her debit card to purchase a car is scheduled to appear in Vancouver Provincial Court next week on multiple charges. White Rock RCMP Const. Janelle Shoihet said Thursday that a woman arrested in Burnaby on Jan. 15 has been connected to identitytheft incidents in Surrey, White Rock, Burnaby and New Westminster between Dec. 20 and Jan. 15. “(The perpetrator) goes into the bank using the victim’s ID, poses as the victim and takes over the bank card, then uses the debit card to buy herself things,” Shoihet said. The White Rock incident occurred Dec. 21, when the debit card of
a woman who works in the city was compromised. Her identity was then used two days later to facilitate a car loan at a Surrey dealership. The fraud has been “very stressful” for the victim, Shoihet said, explaining the woman had to deal with multiple agencies in the aftermath of the theft, including ICBC and TransUnion. “That’s a lot to go through. For seven years, they put a flag on your (credit) file.” Shoihet said she connected the Burnaby suspect to the local file through a phone number that linked to an alias of a woman known by police. Laura Kozinoski, 43, is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 20 charged with identity theft and fraud over $5,000. Shoihet said further charges are possible.
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