March 4, 1988

News 985-2131

HUMPHREYS RESIGNS FROM
B.C. GAMING COMMISSION

FORMER WEST Vancouver mayor Derrick Humphreys
left the B.C. Gaming Commission shortly after questions
were raised over his handling of expenses.

Barely nine months after his
two-year appointment made by
Attorney-General Brian Smith, the
74-year-old Humphreys resigned
the post after an investigation of
expenses filed on his behalf was
held, the News has learned.

The attorney-general’s  depart-
ment has confirmed that a probe
was conducted into alleged violati-
ons of procedures for filing ex-
penses. As a member of the com-
mission, Humphreys received $200
per day when the group met.

The investigation showed that
there was ‘‘some duplication’’ in
the submission of expenses, and
that the doubling-up was caught
each time. No charges were laid or
contemplated after Humphreys
blamed ‘‘faulty procedures’? and
“an office problem’’ for the
“mix-up.”

In an interview with the News,
Humphreys said he resigned
because his wife had been ill, ‘‘and
I got a bit tired of getting up at
5:30 every morning to catch a 7
o'clock plane for an 8 o'clock
meeting in Victoria.

“7 haven't had anything more
than I'm supposed to have...!
don’t know about that,’ he said of
the investigation.

Humphreys said he has ‘‘had
nothing more than is proper, so |
don’t have any comment on that. I
left for the reasons I just told you
and that’s it.”’

The former mayor, who also sat
for eight years on the B.C. Transit
committee, said questioning about
the expenses ‘‘is...looking under
flat rocks. You’ve got lots to do
without — Jesus, I’ve been 30

years in municipal governm-
ent...no way I'd take anything that
was not due. God almighty."

FORMER West Vancouver mayor
Derrick Humphreys...‘‘no way I'd
take anything that was not due.’’

Attorney-General Brian Smith
said he had ‘‘no comment to make
about it, at all, No comment. As
far as we’re concerned, Mr. Hum-
phreys resigned, is no longer a
member of the commission. And
that’s the end of it.””

Humphreys was appointed on
April 1, 1987. His resignation was
noted in a B.C. cabinet order-in-
council dated Jan. 20, 1988.