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Richmond RCMP finds no evidence of vote-buying

Richmond RCMP announced Friday morning that it has found no evidence that merits a criminal charge in the city’s pre-election vote-buying scandal.
vote buying
Post sent out by Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society Fellows offering $20 "transportation subsidy" to voters. The organization said the offer was cancelled. Photo submitted

Richmond RCMP announced Friday morning that it has found no evidence that merits a criminal charge in the city’s pre-election vote-buying scandal.

Police are saying that, to date, no one has come forward to indicate that they are a victim in the case.

However, police are still urging anyone who feels they have been a victim, or have been manipulated, to come forward.

A day before the civic election, the RCMP - which last week received two allegations of voter manipulation on Chinese-language social media app WeChat – has “so far” in its investigation, “uncovered no evidence to substantiate a criminal or British Columbia Local Government Act charge.”

According to police, the “subject or subjects involved with the allegations have cooperated with police” and the Richmond Chief Electoral Officer has been updated throughout the investigation with respect to its findings.

"To date, the Richmond RCMP has only received third party allegations of wrong doing in the election process,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang.

“No individuals have come forward to the Richmond RCMP citing that they have been victimized in any matters related to the voting process.

“We are continuing to encourage anyone who believes that they may have been a victim to come forward and speak to us."

Richmond RCMP is continuing to investigate concerns of possible voter manipulations in the upcoming civic election.

The Richmond News told last week how the Mounties stepped in to investigate accusations that two posts on Chinese social media WeChat about this year’s municipal elections allegedly crossed the line into vote-buying.

According to a screenshot, the Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society asked its members to vote for certain candidates in the coming elections and offered a $20 “transportation subsidy” within a private 347-member WeChat group, last Saturday.

“To encourage people to take part in the municipal elections, the Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society will give a transportation subsidy of $20 for those who vote this year,” said the post.

“Please actively participate in voting and supporting Chinese Canadians to take part in politics.”

The post went on to ask people to vote for Richmond mayoral candidate Hong Guo, incumbent councillor Chak Au, council candidate Peter Liu and Melissa Zhang, and five other candidates in Vancouver and Burnaby.

The Richmond News contacted the society last week and a volunteer, who refused to give her name, confirmed that the money was offered by the organization on Saturday.

“It (the offer) doesn’t exist anymore,” she said.

“It was the original plan, but then we heard that this is illegal, so we corrected the post soon after. We have sent out multiple clarifications in the group from Saturday to today telling people the offer was cancelled. You can check it out.”

Meanwhile, questions were also asked about a WeChat post that appears to come from mayoral candidate Hong Guo, asking people to treat voters to breakfast on Election Day, “after getting their promises.”

However, Guo said the post was forged.

"That's just my picture. The message is not from me. I don't even write in traditional characters; I write in simplified Chinese. Someone is trying to damage my name. I don't know who."

She added that the election campaign has turned "brutal."

The post, which appeared last week, went out to a WeChat group with 448 people.

According to the Local Government Act, “a person must not pay, give, lend or procure inducement…to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting,” which would be considered vote buying.

It also noted that a person must not accept inducement to vote or inducement to refrain from voting.

Those who contravene vote buying laws are liable to a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or disqualification from holding office for up to seven years.

With files from Daisy Xiong