The police investigation into the questionable land dealings of former solicitor-general John Les has widened in size and scope, CTV News has learned.
Instead of wrapping up two months ago, the special prosecutor in the case and the RCMP decided that several more properties -- including one at Yarrow Central Road in Chilliwack -- needed to be brought into the probe, said special prosecutor Robin McFee.
"It was after a consultation with me that the RCMP are now going to look at more property transactions," said McFee.
Some of the evidence to widen the probe came from a parallel investigation done into why cheap farmland was taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve and made into expensive houses, McFee said.
He would not elaborate about how many new transactions are in the investigation.
Despite the cloud over his head, John Les is again running to be Chilliwack's MLA.
"The special prosecutor's got a job to do and he'll do it well." said Les. "I'll await the results that don't cause me any concern at all...and the voters will decide."
Les stepped down last year after it emerged that police were looking into his dealings as a property developer while he was mayor of Chilliwack.
CTV News discovered then that police had visited properties on Bell Road and Rosebank Place -- properties that were once part of protected farmland but where there are now large housing developments.
One of the new land deals was done in 2003 on Yarrow Central Road in Chilliwack. In that deal, an old apple orchard was converted into three large homes, CTV News has learned.
Roel Brand, who lives and works as a welder in the area, said police stopped by his property two weeks ago, adding that their visit was part the John Les investigation.
The Agricultural Land Commission requested the city of Chilliwack to identify all land deals with boundary adjustments. The city provided a list that was not incomplete - and one of the properties left off was Brand's land deal.
CTV News informed the Agricultural Land Commission about the omission, and the agency has now included that property in its investigation.
It's not clear what connection the deal on Yarrow Central Road has to the former solicitor-general.
McFee would not say when the investigation is expected to end.
Reached at a campaign stop in Chilliwack, Gordon Campbell said he had confidence in his candidate.
"I think John Les's record speaks for itself, and it will be up for the voters to decide whether they think he's the person they want to lead them," said Campbell.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward
