The case of a former Vancouver Pride Society treasurer now facing income tax charges will go to trial in November with the Crown calling 26 witnesses.
Auguste Christiane von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg is facing six charges that he was involved in understating the taxable incomes of 235 clients to a total of almost $782,091. The charges were laid under the federal Income Tax Act.
“Mr Von Pfahlenburg is alleged to have lied in various people’s tax returns,” senior federal Crown prosecutor Dan Meneley told provincial court Judge Jodie Werier on Sept 17.
Von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg told Werier he’s “still trying to obtain counsel,” having failed to find public or court funding to do so.
A hearing on a funding application was supposed to take place on March 29. It was adjourned as von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg was not ready to proceed. Von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg also told Werier he had not received any documentation from the court.
At one point, he blamed his landlady’s “issues of her own” for his not receiving his mail and later told the court his father had died. On Sept 17 Dan Meneley told Werier in a pre-trial conference that the Crown had offered Von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg disclosure a number of times, but he did not accept it.
Von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg told the judge he was waiting until he finds a lawyer to accept documents from the Crown. Von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg began explaining to the court that Canada Revenue Agency had decided to stop action on some of the matters.
Meneley told the court that was news to him.
“I find it hard to believe that Canada Revenue Agency on these matters has come back and said ‘You’re right, Mr von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg.’”
Meneley said he would like more information from von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg. He said he would also like von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg to have a lawyer to assist him with the documents.
“It could indicate Mr von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg is guilty and provide further evidence of that,” he said.
“I really, really strongly suspect a Canada Revenue Agency officer is present in the courtroom,” Meneley said.
Whoever it was did not come forward.
Werier asked both sides to seek a further pre-trial conference before trial. She urged von Pfahlenburg-Marienburg to get a lawyer as soon as possible.
Why you can trust Xtra
