Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov announces he's returned to office

Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov, who had been on leave for more thanfive months following a sexual assault charge, has returned to office.

Vagramovresumed his duties on Mondayand said he would return to all of his previous responsibilities, with the exception of his position on the Port Moody Police Board.

"This matter is and has been an absolute nightmare for myself, my partner and my family. At the same time, my absence from city hall has been a regrettable burden on city business," he said.

Vagramov temporarily stepped down on March 28, after a special prosecutor approved a sex assault charge against him. Thealleged offence took place on April 1, 2015, when Vagramov was a councillor.

Originally, he had been collecting a salary while on leave, but that stopped in June.

Nature of case unclear

The casehas not been resolved, with another court appearancescheduled forThursday. But Vagramov said he is confident that the nature of the case and the time required to contest it hasbeen reduced enough for him to return to work.

"What was initially pursued as quite a scary indictment has since been starkly reduced to a summary matter, with the Crown and my legal counsel now exploring a resolution that would not involve a trial at all," he said.

Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the B.C. Prosecution Service, said the "original sexual assault charge against Mr. Vagramov is still before the court." He could provide no further details on the offence.

However, he said the Crown hasbeen proceeding on the charge for several months as a summary offence meaning the crime is not considered as serious.

Vagramov declined to answer multiple questions about the status of the case, instead encouraging reporters "to reach out to my lawyer."

That lawyer, Ian Donaldson, declined to comment to CBC News.

WATCH: Mayor Rob Vagramovannounceshis return to office and takes questions from reporters

B.C. mayor says he's ready to return to work

5 years ago

Duration 2:15

Rob Vagramov, the mayor of Port Moody, B.C., announced his return to office following a five-month leave. The Crown has decided to proceed on Vagramov's sexual assault charge as a summary or less serious offence.

Split on council

Vagramov said he is eager to return to council, which has had several tie votes during his five-month absence.

"I think the constant three-three votes on some of the big issues have been a driver of anxiety in the city," he said.

"Luckily not too much has gotten to the point where it's been such a confrontational state. But there are going to be some some big decisions to be made in the coming few weeks."

Councillor Diana Dilworth, who has opposed much of Vagramov's agenda,acknowledged that the mayor's absence had "really resulted in a lot of uncertainty and instability."

Dilworth said she was disappointed to not hear from Vagramov prior to his announcement on Monday, butwas hopeful the mayor would lead council on a more conciliatory path going forward.

"I'm hoping that perhaps he can bring a sense of collaborativeness, and can help get over the division that has been established on our council and that's reflected in our community," she said.