Former top NDP staffer faces fraud charge, union says

Heather Grant-Jury, who once worked as a top aide to former premier Greg Selinger,has been arrested and faces a fraud charge, according to the union she once worked for.

Grant-Jury wasSelinger'sprincipal secretary for a period of time at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. In order to take the job shetook a leaveofabsencefrom her position as director of the training centre for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 832.

When Grant-Jury returned to her job for the UFCW, the union discoveredirregularities in expense claims at the training centre and suspended herin December 2015. Aforensic audit was completed lastspring and the results wereturned over to the Winnipeg Police to complete their own investigation.

When the union informed then-premier GregSelingerof the concerns atthe training centre late last year,Selinger'schief-of-staff immediately demandedGrant-Jury's resignation from theNDP'sre-election planning committee and her seat on the board of Manitoba Public Insurance.

In a written statement a spokesperson for the UFCWsays "itwill be seeking full restitution of all money that was inappropriately expensed to the Education Training and Trust Fund."

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service could not confirm charges against Grant-Jury have formally been laid.

The union says she has been arrested and faces a charge for fraud over $5,000.

CBC News attempted to contact Grant-Jury but was unable to reach her for comment.