The son of former MLA Judi Tyabji is facing a charge of assault in connection with an incident at the offices of a First Nation band in Powell River.
RCMP Sgt. Kevin Day said a charge was laid after a man was struck in the face at the government house of the Tla’amin Nation on June 9.
He said the complainant and another man had been delivering furniture to the building when a dispute arose and the complainant was assaulted.
Kasimir Tyabji-Sandana, 28, was charged with one count of assault. He was expected to make his second appearance in the case Tuesday in Provincial Court in Powell River.
The building, which was opened for business last month, houses the band’s administration offices. In April the Tla’amin became a self-governing band.
Shawn Louie, a councillor for the band, said he hadn’t heard about the incident but added that it may have had something to do with the Staples chain retailer, which delivered furniture to the building.
A manager at the Staples outlet in Powell River said there would be no comment and referred any inquiries to the company’s head office, which did not respond to a query.
Tybaji-Sandana was released on an undertaking that he promise to appear in court and on conditions including that he have no contact with the complainant.
Last year, Tyabji-Sandana was arrested and charged with importing a controlled substance after border guards found fentanyl in a parcel meant for a Calgary address.
The package was addressed to someone in Calgary and contained 122 grams of pure fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used primarily to treat severe pain that has been tied to hundreds of deaths across Canada.
Tyabji-Sandana, who was a resident of Calgary at the time, was released on bail late last year. A five-day trial for the drug case is set for Sept. 11, 2017.
Tyabji could not be reached for comment on the assault charge but when news broke on the drug charges, she sent a letter saying she was in shock and noting that her son had no prior record and was not in any way fitting the profile of a drug person.
“Kaz is a gentle giant, a happy Buddha of a person who has spent his entire life helping others. He is always quick to smile, and generous with his friends.”
Tyabji was the youngest member of the B.C. legislature when she was elected in 1991.
— With a file from Canadian Press
