A former director of the Tourism Research Centre at UPEI has been charged with six counts of violating the Income Tax Act.
Sean Michael Hennessey, age 55, has also been charged with three counts of violating the Excise Act.
Hennessey was not present in provincial court Thursday in Charlottetown when his case was called.
Hennessey has hired Halifax defence lawyer Joel Pink to represent him but Pink was unable to attend Thursday’s arraignment docket due to commitments in another court.
A lawyer standing in for Pink told the court Pink has received disclosure and that it is voluminous. He said Pink would require time to review this rather large file and discuss the matter further with his client.
The court was told Pink will be out of the country for the entire month of February so the case would have to be adjourned for several weeks.
Chief Provincial Court Judge John Douglas has adjourned the matter now until April 29.
The offences Hennessey is charged with are alleged to have been committed between 2007 and 2010.
Charges are filed under two separate sections of the Income Tax Act, 239-1-A and 239-1-D.
The first of those sections relates to making false or deceptive statements in a return or a certificate. The second section relates to willfully evading or attempting to evade compliance with the act or the payment of taxes imposed under the act.
The charges laid under the Excise Act relate to a section of the act that relates to evasion or attempts to evade compliance with the payment or remittance of tax or net tax imposed under the act.
