OPP investigating Coun. Rick Chiarelli: CBC sources
College ward councillor has been subject of 2 scathing integrity commissioner's reports
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating Coun. Rick Chiarelli, according to CBC sources with knowledge of the case.
On Thursday, OPP confirmed in a statement that they're investigating a local elected official, adding that they had been asked by the Ottawa Police Service in October for help looking into the "conduct of a member of Ottawa City Council."
According to that statement, "an investigation has commenced and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
CBC has confirmed that Chiarelli is the subject of the investigation. No charges have been laid, and the nature of the investigation, which is thought to be in the preliminary stages, remains unclear.
Chiarelli unaware of OPP probe
Chiarelli's office said in an emailed statement late Thursday afternoon that the councillor "has not been made aware of an OPP investigation."
The College ward councillor's behaviour has been the subject of two damning reports from integrity commissioner Robert Marleau.
- Rick Chiarelli committed 'incomprehensible incidents of harassment' against staff, 2nd report finds
- Chiarelli should face harshest penalty, integrity commissioner says in 1st report
In his most recent report, Marleau wrote that he had referred some of the information that came to him through his months-long investigation "to the appropriate authorities."
Many of the witnesses who participated in the investigation into Chiarelli's conduct — which the integrity commissioner described as "incomprehensible incidents of harassment" — told CBC that they gave long testimonies to the integrity commissioner.
But only information that was relevant to the formal complaints was included in the report. If the integrity commissioner becomes aware of information that could be in "contravention" of any laws outside his jurisdiction, he is obligated to report it.
Marleau wrote that "on review of the testimony of several individuals," he determined that there were "reasonable grounds" that laws may have been broken over which he has no authority.
"I did not investigate those issues and referred the matters to the appropriate authorities," he wrote.
