Ex-Liberal Brampton MP accused of using office for personal gain sees trial extended to fall

OTTAWA — The trial for former Liberal MP Raj Grewal, who stands accused of utilizing his political workplace for private monetary acquire, will prolong till no less than this fall.

The ex-Brampton politician faces two breach of belief prices associated to a sequence of loans he took out to pay for playing money owed, which he stored hidden from the federal ethics commissioner whereas he served in Ottawa.

Although the trial was initially solely scheduled via late this month, Grewal’s destiny is now left hanging for an prolonged hiatus, with additional hearings tentatively scheduled for November.

The Crown has tried to determine that Grewal supplied assist with visas or particular entry to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in trade for monetary assist from pals and businesspeople in his using.

A key witness instructed an Ontario court docket final week that he anticipated no particular favours in return for a $200,000 mortgage that he gave to Grewal shortly earlier than he attended a non-public meet-and-greet with Trudeau in India.

Yusuf Yenilmez, an Ontario businessman, testified throughout cross-examination that as a well-connected Liberal occasion member, he wanted no assist from Grewal in accessing Liberal officers.

Yenilmez’s presence at a New Delhi reception throughout Trudeau’s February 2018 official go to was at concern within the trial, with a former Liberal staffer testifying earlier that his title was on a shortlist of 5 visitors Grewal invited to the meet-and-greet.

However Yenilmez stated the occasion had nothing to do with the mortgage and he had already met Trudeau 5 – 6 different instances.

It was not clear to him that he was accessing something “unique” or meant for “VIPs” by lining up for a photograph with Trudeau on the occasion, he stated.

And he famous that the photographs from the India occasion weren’t even the very best ones he had taken with this prime minister _ he already had different snaps from “extra personal” settings.

Since Grewal’s trial started early final month, the court docket has heard testimony from quite a lot of witnesses who stated he requested them for loans whereas he was sitting as a federal MP.

Yenilmez and several other different Brampton-based witnesses instructed the court docket that they offered the big sums as a result of they trusted Grewal and thought of him to be a buddy — and acknowledged that they’d offered comparable quantities to different trusted pals previously.

One other Ontario businessman, Andy Dhugga, had testified that in his group it’s not uncommon for folks to assist one another out on this method.

Each witnesses stated they weren’t conscious that Grewal, a lawyer who was elected to signify Brampton East in 2015, wanted the cash due to a brewing playing downside.

Grewal resigned from the Liberal occasion caucus after his dependancy got here to public mild in late 2018, and he didn’t run once more within the 2019 election.

On the time of his resignation, he stated that he had sought remedy for his playing dependancy, that he solely took loans from family and friends and that he had paid off all his debt.

The RCMP charged Grewal in 2020 with 4 counts of breach of belief and one rely of fraud over $5,000, however solely two breach of belief prices stay.

The subsequent hearings are presently scheduled for the week of Nov. 14.

— With a file from Erika Ibrahim