Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Port Coquitlam Thursday, April 25 on a sexual assault charge.
It’s not known if Vagramov, 26, the city’s youngest ever mayor, who is on paid leave while he deals with this legal issue, will be on hand for his appearance.
Vagramov’s legal troubles became public knowledge March 28 when the BC Prosecution Service announced that a special prosecutor had been appointed to look into a sexual assault complaint.
Michael Klein was appointed special prosecutor on Dec. 17, 2018 in relation to the sexual assault alleged to have occurred in Coquitlam in 2015.
Klein was appointed under Section 7 of the Crown Counsel Act because the case was considered in the public interest. The appointment of a special prosecutor is intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice in light of the nature of the allegations and the identify of the accused as an elected official.
Klein subsequently approved a single charge of sexual assault contrary to Section 271 of the Criminal Code against Vagramov.
At a press conference at PoMo city hall on the day the criminal charge was announced, Vagramov he had been cooperating with authorities since the charge was laid and claimed he had passed a polygraph test regarding the events in question.
Vagramov also announced that he would go on paid leave while he deals with the charge, leaving the remaining councillors to take on the position of acting mayor.
At a special council meeting April 2, three PoMo councillors' names were drawn from a water glass for the position of acting mayor for the rest of the year, with Coun. Meghan Lahti acting mayor until the end of June. She will be followed by Coun. Hunter Madsen, with rookie Steve Milani taking on the job in October.
Vagramov makes $111,000 job as mayor. He was elected to the post in October after serving one term as Port Moody councillor.
