Yellowknife (Jan 17/05) - The sexual assault trial of former Inuvik MLA Roger Allen, who resigned last year under a cloud of controversy, is scheduled to being today in Yellowknife.

Roger Allen

Allen, 52, faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.

He was arrested in August after a three-month police investigation into a sexual assault complaint in Inuvik last May. The name of Allen's accuser is subject to a publication ban.

Allen resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly in October amid publicity over the sexual assault charge and suggestions he falsified a housing claim.

Allen is one of the territories' best known personalities.

He has been involved in electoral politics for nearly two decades, serving as the mayor of Aklavik and sitting on town council in Inuvik.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1999, representing Inuvik-Twin Lakes.

He was named justice minister the following year, a post he lost when cabinet was reshuffled after the last general election.

Allen was also a world-class cross-country skier, representing Canada at the 1972 Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan.

Interestingly, nearly four months after his resignation, Allen is still listed as a sitting MLA on the homepage of the territorial government.