A charge of obstruction of justice against Williams Lake city councillor Surinderpal Rathor was stayed in Williams Lake Provincial Court this week.
Rathor said he was surprised, but relieved when his lawyer told him the news.
Initially he was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, April 24.
“I found out today Crown has stayed the charge,” Rathor said Wednesday.
“I was supposed to go to court tomorrow. My lawyer was flying up from Vancouver tonight.”
In September, Rathor was charged with one count of obstruction of justice.
The North District RCMP said last fall the charge stemmed from an investigation where on Dec. 24, 2012 Rathor assisted police as a translator for a criminal code case.
“Rathor allegedly interfered with an investigation beyond his role as a translator,” the RCMP stated in a press release at the time.
However, Rathor said Wednesday he was acting as a mediator in a family dispute, not a translator.
“I was asked by the family elders to get involved in order to help the family reconcile. The charge arose from my involvement in the family conflict.”
Looking back Rathor said he achieved his mission to keep the family together, but wanted to publicly apologize to the family if he caused anyone to be upset as a result of his involvement.
“It was not my intention to upset anyone and it was certainly not my intention to do or say anything that would have obstructed justice,” Rathor told the Weekend/Advisor.
