UPDATE: Vernon mayor responds to income tax charges

'EVERYTHING WILL BE CLEARED UP"

VERNON – Vernon’s mayor is in trouble with the tax man.

Mayor Akbal Singh Mund is charged with two counts of failure to comply with the Income Tax Act but he doesn't expect the action to go anywhere.

“They’re looking for further paperwork. It’s not like I haven’t paid my taxes,” Mund says. “I think everything will wash out in the end.”

The mayor says the issue is with taxes filed in 2012 and 2013 for his company Mund Holdings. He insists the taxes were all paid on time, but says Revenue Canada has asked for further paperwork.

“The wrongdoing is the correct paperwork hasn’t been filed,” Mund says.

He wouldn’t comment on what paperwork was missing, or why it wasn’t filed properly.

Mund was scheduled to appear in Vernon Provincial Court Thursday morning, but the matter was put over to Nov. 19. Mund says his lawyer is forwarding all the proper paperwork to Revenue Canada and expects things to be settled soon.

“Everything will be cleared up before then (Nov.19),” Mund says.

Mund was elected to office in November 2014. He's well known in the community for his participation in local fundraisers and organizations, and previously owned the Wendy's franchise in Vernon. He's lived here for more than 20 years. 

It's not the first time a member of Vernon city council has been in trouble with the Income Tax Act. In February 2013, then-councillor Patrick Nicol was found guilty of not paying his taxes on time. 

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was updated at 10:38 a.m. Sept. 17, 2015 to include comments from Mayor Akbal Mund.