Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov says he will no longer accept a salary while contesting sexual assault charge

Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov will no longer be taking a salary while he contests a charge of sexual assault.

He made the announcement Monday his first public comments since he announced he was taking a leave of absence afterthe charge was revealed in a letter to council.

"I have learned firsthand how slowly the wheels of our justice system can turn, with this issue taking longer to resolve than I had expected," he said.

"Even though Council's decisions regarding my paid leave have been 100% in line with the only existing guidelines ... and have been extremely helpful and deeply appreciated, I have become less and lesscomfortable receiving a full salary the longer this legal situation takes."

Vagramov is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman in Coquitlam in 2015, when he was a councillor.

After he stepped down on March 29, council agreed to reassess every 45 days whether he should continue collecting hissalary$111,833 for 2019 while on leave. The next vote was to come this Tuesday.

Vagramov's next court appearance is scheduled for July 15.