Former police fairness council member charged with forging signature
A neighborhood organizer who ran engagement periods to assist recruit the town’s police chief has been charged with forging a signature on a reference letter for one more group he based.
Hector Addison, who was additionally a member of the Ottawa police’s neighborhood fairness council — a volunteer group meant to strengthen relationships between police and racialized communities — is charged with a single depend of forging a doc.
The Crown formally intervened Tuesday and took management of what initially started as a “non-public prosecution” in opposition to Addison by native activist Robin Browne of 613-819 Black Hub — a major and uncommon incidence.
A personal prosecution is a court-run course of whereby any citizen can deliver prison costs in opposition to one other particular person and not using a police investigation.
Addison’s defence lawyer, Jason Gilbert, wouldn’t touch upon the allegations in opposition to his shopper, however stated he is ready to obtain disclosure within the case.
Addison, too, declined to touch upon the cost in opposition to him.
CBC Information has discovered he has stepped down from his volunteer place on the neighborhood fairness council.
“There have been allegations made in opposition to me which are utterly unfounded,” he wrote in his resignation letter to the council, which was obtained by CBC Information.
“I intend to vigorously defend myself in opposition to these costs and I’m totally assured that I can be vindicated and that these costs can be dismissed.”
He known as Browne a “distraction” intent “to destroy the neighborhood we now have labored so laborious to construct.”
“With a view to shield the integrity of the group I’m quickly suspending my involvement within the Neighborhood Fairness Council till this matter has been resolved.”
Addison’s enterprise with police board
613-819 Black Hub and Browne first went public with the “non-public” prosecution and the cost on Oct. 21 — the identical day the board introduced it accomplished the hiring course of and named Eric Stubbs as the brand new Ottawa police chief.
However when it did, it erroneously stated the Crown had charged Addison. At that time, it remained a personal prosecution.
Browne has been vital of Addison for months.
In Could, the Ottawa Police Providers Board authorised a controversial contract with Addison’s enterprise, which was composed of a number of the volunteer members of the town power’s personal neighborhood fairness council (CEC).
Neighborhood advocates had raised questions on how a workforce of volunteers would now receives a commission to deliver neighborhood members to the desk.
On the time, the police board known as it an “additional advantage” that the workforce was made up of some CEC members.
Whereas CEC members are unpaid and don’t settle for honorariums for the work they undertake in that position, it was the second public contract with ties to the police power that Hefid Options, Addison’s firm, had acquired.
Browne had additionally voiced issues with Hefid receiving a contract with Crime Prevention Ottawa, for the renewal of the Ottawa Avenue Violence and Gang Technique — a citywide, multi-agency method to deal with gun violence that additionally informs the power’s policing aims.
That Hefid contract additionally included a smaller contract with the African Canadian Affiliation of Ottawa (ACAO) to distribute honorariums to session individuals. Addison based that group.
Failed police report in July 2022
Browne first reported the forgery allegation to police in July, emails seen by CBC Information present.
The doc with the alleged solid signature, a replica of which was additionally seen by CBC Information, is a “letter of help for the African Canadian Affiliation of Ottawa’s Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Venture,” dated Nov. 13, 2021.
The doc is presupposed to be written “on behalf of Somerset West Neighborhood Well being Centre,” and asks the provincial authorities to provide the ACAO funding.
If Addison didn’t achieve something from this forgery, the Crown Prosecutor is not going to wish to pursue.– Sgt. Chantal Arsenault to Robin Browne
The doc seems to be signed by a director of the neighborhood well being centre. It is that signature Addison is alleged to have solid.
A detective from the organized fraud unit wrote again to Browne by way of electronic mail after receiving his report, asking for added info and witnesses.
“On the subject of Solid signature or False Pretenses, there must be a profit to the topic concerned, it might be monetary or not. Are you able to please verify with me if funding was authorised?” Sgt. Chantal Arsenault wrote.
Browne advised the detective there was no manner for him to know whether or not Hector’s group in the end received the funding associated to the letter, however he did present the officer with a witness identify, in keeping with the emails.
Arsenault defined additional: “There are parts of the offence required in a Felony Court docket of legislation to show Forgery. There must be a profit gained, it may be monetary or not. If Addison didn’t achieve something from this forgery, the Crown Prosecutor is not going to wish to pursue.”
Browne pressed the matter, looking for readability on what police needed.
“Does that imply the OPS is not going to pursue this any additional as I’ve no proof Addison received the funding?” he requested.
Arsenault advised him that “As beforehand defined … if you can’t supply any proof that profit was gained OPS cannot pursue this any additional.”
Browne initiated the non-public prosecution two days in a while July 11. He went by means of that course of, which included a pre-enquete assembly with witnesse, earlier than a justice of the peace agreed the proof merited a cost.
The Crown may have determined to withdraw the cost, however as an alternative formally intervened Tuesday and took carriage of the case and prosecution.
Members of the general public clashed with Ottawa police members after the Nov. 28, 2022, Ottawa Police Providers Board assembly, within the hallways of Metropolis Corridor. Police say one particular person was arrested, charged with inflicting a disturbance and launched.
Police board assembly resulted in protest
On the police companies board assembly final week, Browne was a public delegate and staged a deliberate demonstration after trying to inform the board concerning the cost in opposition to Addison.
He and one other activist thwarted the remainder of the assembly by refusing to depart the delegation desk. The board rushed by means of the remainder of the agenda to finish the assembly.
The police board wouldn’t reply questions Tuesday on when it first knew concerning the forgery allegation, or whether or not it stood by its choice to provide Addison’s enterprise the contract.
As an alternative interim Chair Suzanne Valiquet stated in an announcement rhat “Hefid Options was engaged by means of Odgers Berndtson, the chief search agency the Board employed to help it with its Chief recruitment course of. The contract, by means of [the firm], has since concluded.”
The board, nonetheless, voted to approve the procurement of Hefid by the search agency.
Two delegates at Monday’s Ottawa Police Providers Board assembly refused to depart their seats after talking, regardless of warnings from chair Suzanne Valiquet.
CBC Information requested whether or not the board will proceed to work with Hefid Options given its director is now charged with a criminal offense.
Valiquet stated, “the Board will await the end result of any prison proceedings earlier than making any remark.”
CEC co-chairs Sahada Alolo — who was beforehand listed as a Hefid marketing consultant — and Deputy Chief Steve Bell didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Crime Prevention Ottawa additionally didn’t reply to a request for a remark.
Addison is subsequent scheduled in court docket within the new 12 months.
