Crown prosecutors have withdrawn charges of fraud and breach of trust against former Liberal senator Mac Harb, shown in 2013. ( Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS )OTTAWA — Charges of fraud and breach of trust have been dropped against former senator Mac Harb, a Liberal appointee and central figure in the Senate expense scandal whose housing expenses were deemed unjustifiable by the upper chamber. The charges stemmed from living expenses Harb, a one-time Liberal MP from Ottawa, filed for a secondary home in the city while claiming his primary residence was far from the national capital. Harb, who retired from the Senate three years ago, had been set to face a criminal trial later this year. A Senate audit raised doubts about the veracity of his claims and Harb ended up repaying the Senate about $231,000 in housing expenses going back years.

Source: thestar May 20, 2016 08:43 UTC