Security clearance for Pearson airport employee unreasonably revoked, court rules
Florija Imerovik had her transportation security clearance revoked by Transport Canada in July 2015
A woman who lost her job at Toronto's Pearson International Airport because of her family's alleged links to organized crime could have her security clearance restored after a federal judge found it had been unreasonably revoked.
Florija Imerovik had her transportation security clearance revoked by Transport Canada's director general of aviation security in July of last year, causing her to lose her job as a security screening officer at Pearson.
The government's decision was based on RCMP reports that Imerovik's husband, son and a former lodger had associated with known members of Albanian organized crime groups.
On Aug. 18, Federal Court judge Robert Barnes overturned Transport Canada's decision, saying officials had done a "cursory and sloppy review" of the RCMP evidence against Imerovik and her case should be re-evaluated.
Court documents show Imerovik was given transportation security clearance in 2002 and had it renewed at five-year intervals, most recently in 2012.
The documents show that at some point, Transport Canada asked the RCMP to perform additional security checks on Imerovik.