Walsh corruption trial goes to judge

The fate of Jim Walsh, the former Newfoundland and Labrador cabinet minister facing corruption charges in connection with a political spending scandal that rocked the province, is now in the hands of a judge.

Walsh, a former tourism minister who sat in the house of assembly from 1989 until his defeat in 2003, is one of four politicians representing all three of the province's political parties charged in connection with questionable spending of millions of dollars in public money.

Walsh is charged with fraud over $5,000, breach of trust and fraud on the government, a charge formerly known as influence peddling. He is accused of overspending his expense accounts by nearly $160,000.

During closing arguments in a St. John's courtroom Monday, Walsh's lawyer, Vern French, attacked the management of the house of assembly and the credibility of the legislature's former financial officer, Bill Murray, who also faces a series of fraud-related charges involving spending at the legislature.

"Jim Walsh, in his own way, was a victim of Bill Murray's fraud," French told the court.

In testimonyat Walsh's trial during the summer, Murray admitted that he took envelopes filled with cash in return for letting Walsh overspend his constituency allowance.

French said that Murray "saw a weak administrator. He saw a trusting person."

French said nobody in authority was doing their job, and that his client's only crime was paying too much attention to his district and not enough to his expenses.

Crown prosecutor Frances Knickle accepted that Murray may have played a big role in the spending scandal, but she told the court that the money went into Walsh's bank account.

"Mr. Walsh received all those cheques. He has to know he is over," she said, referring to hisspending limits. "That is classic willful blindness."

During the trial, the defence attempted to paint Walsh as a victim of a mismanaged legislature. Walsh has maintained thatmistakes, not crimes, led to the overpayments.

The case returns to court Dec. 7 when Judge David Orr is expected to announce a decision.