Immigration case stalled as juror falls ill

(CNS): After just a few hours of evidence from the suspended chief immigration officer, Linda Evans, in the crown’s case against a former work permit board secretary has been adjourned. As a result of a juror being taken ill, Justice Charles Quin discharged the entire jury panel Wednesday morning and adjourned the trial until next month. The case against Tichina Rickfield has dragged on for more than five years and comes to court at a time when the immigration department is in turmoil.

Evans, who was the crown’s first witness in this case, is herself now under investigation following allegations that she abused her office. The current director of boards has also been suspended regarding unspecified allegations, and Gary Wong from the enforcement arm of the department is facing drinking and driving charges, although he has remained in post.

Rickfield faces 15 counts of making false documents and one count of misconduct in public office. The crown claims that between January 2009 and January 2010, when she was acting work-permit board secretary, on 15 occasions she overrode decisions of the work-permit board to grant refused or deferred permits and entered information to the immigration department’s computer system after the meetings that did not tally with the board minutes. However, Rickfield has denied all of the allegations.

Related article on CNS: Board secretary accused of false permit grants