Maple Ridge City council was rocked by a scandal in 2025, as Coun. Ahmed Yousef was forced to step down, and faces multiple serious criminal charges.
Ahmed Antar Yousef Mohamed, as he is fully named in court documents, is charged with four counts of assault – involving four separate alleged victims – one count of pointing a firearm, and another charge of unsafe storage of a firearm.
There is a ban on publication prohibiting the identification of victims or witnesses involved in these charges.
“Effective today, Monday, May 12, I’m going to take leave to focus my time and efforts on some personal matters,” wrote Yousef on his Facebook. “I hope to take my seat back at council at the earliest possible opportunity. Thank you for your understanding.”
The 48-year-old councillor was first elected to council in 2018, and re-elected in 2022 when he topped the polls with more than 6,000 votes – more than any other councillor. He was also a federal election candidate, taking the Liberal nomination and running for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP in 2021, when Conservative Marc Dalton won the riding.
In 2022, the province introduced legislative changes to deal with elected officials who are charged or convicted of crimes.
The amendments require an elected official to be put on mandatory paid leave when charged with a criminal offence, until the criminal process is complete, or the charges are resolved. The changes also disqualify officials convicted of an indictable offence.
The charges against Yousef, as serious criminal offences, are proceeding by indictment.
If found guilty, he would be disqualified from running in the 2026 local elections on Oct. 17.
In August, more charges were added, as he was charged with two counts of driving while prohibited.
Yousef’s case is slowly making its way through the courts, and he is next scheduled to appear on Jan. 16, 2026 in Vancouver’s Provincial Court, for a pre-trial conference.
The B.C. Prosecution Service appointed Claire Hatcher as a special prosecutor in the allegations against the councillor.
“The appointment of a special prosecutor is intended to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected public official,” said a press release from the prosecution service.
None of the charges against Yousef have been tested in court, and a person accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.