Yellowknife (Oct 29/03) - A former teacher has been accused of stealing more than $10,000 from the French school district, Conseil Scolaire Francaise, during five years of employment there.

Marcel Blanchet is charged with two counts of theft over $5,000, stretching from Oct. 1, 1998 to March 13, 2002. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

School board officials refused to comment on the case while it was before the courts. Crown attorney Paul Falvo also said his office couldn't talk about the details of the alleged crime.

According to court documents, Blanchet has elected to be tried by a jury but has not yet entered a plea. Falvo said that would come at a later hearing.

Blanchet has made an application to have the case tried in French. The crown is obliged to comply with the request.

Blanchet, who is living in Alberta, was not required to be present for an Oct. 21 court appearance.

He is expected to be in town on Nov. 4, when lawyers set a date for his preliminary hearing.

If the case passes the preliminary hearing phase, a trial date could be set for sometime in the new year.