A new investigation into unnamed Conservative party officials in connection with certain fraud allegations, on the eve of newly elected party leader Patrick Brown unveils his “people’s guarantee,” platform has been launched.
Rick Dykstra, the PC Party president, said officials are co-operating fully with the criminal investigation and the Tories’ lawyer, Peter Brauti, has emphasized that “as far as I know, they’re not looking at the leader; they’re not looking at the party.”
According to court documents filed by police last Wednesday, Det. Const. Adam Jefferess obtained an “order of detention” to keep as potential evidence a slew of material handed over at PC Party headquarters on Bay St. a month ago.
In what was turned over to the Hamilton police was two brown boxes, two binders full of printed emails and two usbs containing digital copies of those emails. These documents were thoroughly searched for evidence of fraud that took place on May 7, 2017 during an Ontario PC Party nomination meeting.
After that riding meeting, Vikram Singh, a Hamilton lawyer and runner-up in the four-contestant nomination, launched a civil action against the Conservative party alleging “wrongful insertion of false ballots.”
Singh then filed a separate complaint and the criminal probe is completely separate from his ongoing civil suit which names Brown, Dykstra, PC executive director Bob Stanley and senior Brown aide Logan Bugeja.
The Tories have denied any wrongdoing in the civil case and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
According to the court documents filed on Wednesday, police can keep the seized items until Dec. 27 “or until the completion of all proceedings, as charges have been laid.”
Criminal fraud is a serious matter. A conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Read the full story over at The Toronto Star.
