WATCH: The chief administrative officer for the City of Nanaimo has been arrested following an RCMP investigation into allegations that elected officials and other community members were threatened. And now as Kendall Hanson reports Nanaimo’s mayor says he is among the people who were threatened.
Nanaimo’s mayor says he is among those who were allegedly threatened last week.
“There was a threat made against me yes,” said Mayor Bill McKay. “It was verbal to members of staff.”
The woman arrested last week, and later released on conditions, was Nanaimo’s Chief Administrative Officer Tracy Samra. Samra has not been charged but Island District RCMP announced they were investigating allegations of uttering threats last week. Plainclothes officers were at city hall Thursday and Friday interviewing staff.
“I was interviewed as well as a number of other people,” said McKay. “I wasn’t present at city hall that day so I couldn’t shed much light on the incident itself.”
City Councillor Dianne Brennan and City Hall blogger Dominic Jones both say they too were told by police they were among those allegedly threatened.
The mayor says it’s also weighing heavily on the staff involved.
“They’re concerned about their safety,” said McKay. “And we’ve done everything that we possibly can to make sure that any of the employees that were directly involved in the incident have the help of our human resources department.”
Where this leaves the city’s relationship with Samra is unclear. She has reportedly taken a job with the Sechelt First Nation.
“Council have not been notified as to her status with respect to the Sechelt First Nations. They have made statements to the public that we’ve not confirmed.”
CHEK News repeatedly tried to contact Samra today but did not get a response.
A neighbour says Samra left for Sechelt yesterday.
There is no word yet on when crown counsel will make a decision on whether or not to lay charges in this case.
The City of Nanaimo is also conducting an investigation into the incident.
Kendall Hanson
