Canadian politicians charged with expenses fraud

Canadian police have laid charges against one suspended senator and another former senator with fraud and breach-of-trust over their living and travel expenses. The two senators-- Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb -- will appear in court at a later date to face the charges, Gilles Michaud, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday. Brazeau, suspended from Senate last November, was found to have improperly claimed nearly 50,000 Canadian dollars (about 45,085 U.S. dollars) in housing expenses. He was Canada's youngest-ever senator when Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him to the un-elected upper chamber at the age of 34 in late 2008. Meanwhile, retired senator Harb, had repaid 231,000 dollars (208,296 U.S. dollars) of improperly claimed expenses to the Senate before his resignation in August last year. Harb's lawyer Sean said Harb is prepared to respond to "any and all allegations" in court and will plead not guilty, while Brazeau told local media last November that he would have preferred to have been charged so that he could offer an answer to the allegations that had swirled around him for months. The RCMP began last year its investigation into the Senate spending scandal, which has rocked Parliament Hill and touched the Prime Minister's Office. Brazeau and Harb are among the four senators that police have investigated regarding improper housing and travel expenses claims. The other two senators -- former television news broadcasters Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy -- were also suspended from Parliament's Red Chamber along with Brazeau last November. The RCMP has not laid charges against them yet. A Senate committee determined each of the four had claimed tens of thousands of dollars in expenses that they were not entitled to, and then passed its files to the RCMP. Charlie Angus, ethics critic of the New Democratic Party, the official opposition party, called the RCMP's announcement a "very sobering day for Canadian political life." "It raises questions about the political judgment of the prime minister of this country who appointed Patrick Brazeau despite numerous red flags being raised about him," Angus said. Harper, in response to the charges against Harb and Brazeau, showed his approval for the RCMP. "We expect all parliamentarians to respect the rules and respect the law, and if not there will be consequences," he said in question period in Parliament.