EX GOVERNMENT AIDE PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG-RELATED CHARGES

A man with admitted drug and alcohol problems has been sentenced to a year
under house arrest after pleading guilty to drug-related charges.

Suspended provincial government aide Marshall Smith, 31, pleaded guilty to
charges of possession of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine Aug. 27 in
Victoria provincial court.

He also entered a guilty plea to breaching court orders issued during his
previous appearances.

Smith was suspended without pay after the first arrest July 1 for drug
possession charges and was rearrested July 15 on new possession charges. He
proclaimed his innocence in the media in the aftermath of his first two sets
of charges but was taken into custody again Aug. 1 for breaching the terms
of his release.

At the time of his first arrest, Smith was on paid personal leave from his
job as ministerial assistant to Gulzar Cheema, minister of state for
immigration and multicultural services.

He was ordered to spend his house arrest at his mother's home in North
Vancouver.