Nobody seems to believe Sims’ claim she didn’t know about charges
BY RATTAN MALL
Photo 1: Maninder Gill poses with Jinny Sims and NDP MLAs Jagrup Brar and Harry Bains and NDP candidate for Surrey-Panorama, Amrik Mahil, after receiving the Queen’s Medal. Photo by Chandra Bodalia
THE South Asian community has been in a state of shock and shame after the blitz of bad publicity engendered by the awarding of the Queen’s Medal to Radio India boss Maninder Gill, who is facing weapons charges, by Newton-North Delta MP Jinny Sims.
Nobody really believes Sims’ claim that she was not aware of the charges as every other South Asian politician is aware of the facts. Even if Sims’ claim is believed it shows an abysmal lack of ignorance about what’s been going on right under her nose, community members point out.
It seems that Sims received some bad advice and every member of her party wants to stay as far away as possible from the controversy.
Gill told Surrey Now newspaper that Surrey MPs Jasbir Sandhu (NDP) and Nina Grewal (Conservative) also offered to nominate him for the medal.
Gill is facing charges in connection with the August 28, 2010 shooting incident in which Surrey businessman Harjit Atwal was shot in the leg at Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
Photo 2: Jinny Sims and Surrey RCMP officers pose with Maninder Gill: Surrey RCMP’s left hand doesn’t seem to know what its right hand is doing!
Photo by Chandra Bodalia )
Police identified the alleged shooter after interviewing many witnesses. Gill fled the scene and only turned himself in two days later after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was released on a $200,000 bail on September 9, 2010.
Gill was charged with eight criminal offences: pointing a firearm, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm with intent to wound or disfigure, aggravated assault, possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition and unlawfully discharging a firearm.
Gill has been trying to defend himself by claiming that he has raised more than $10-million for charitable causes through his radio.
Photo 3: Maninder Gill Photo by Chandra Bodalia
Such charity is indeed praiseworthy, but I am sure Gill can produce all the accounts of the fundraisers including copies of tax receipts to donors to prove his claims.
The community has been waiting for years for such accounts. I am sure Gill will now produce them before the whole community. He might have already done so with Canada Revenue Agency.
Nevertheless, Gill faces SERIOUS CHARGES – everybody knows that; everybody BUT the MP who gave him the medal, it seems!
Sims said in a statement: “I recognize the seriousness of the crime he has been accused of committing, and apologize to those who were offended that he was presented with the medal.”
I am sure Gill is anything but happy with Sims’ statement.
And I am sure decent Canadians are anything but happy with Gill’s medal.
