SQLFusion - Fantino named in $2.5 M lawsuit

Fantino named in $2.5M lawsuit

Last Updated: Sunday, December 17, 2006 | 1:09 PM ET
CBC News

Julian Fantino, Toronto's former police chief, has been accused of being involved in the conduct of wiretaps of the chair of the Police Services Board.

The allegation is one of many made in a $2.5-million lawsuit filed by Toronto police Const. Robert Correa against Fantino, Ontario Provincial Police commissioner. None of the allegations, which are made in Correa's statement of claim, have been proven in court.

Correa and a fellow officer were named in 2004 when Fantino announced the two were facing internal charges for alleged links to a cocaine addict and convicted car thief. Correa was a drug squad officer at the time.

Correa claims it was the first time in the history of the force that such a high-profile news conference had been called to announce charges laid under the Police Services Act, which are non-criminal charges.

After two years, both officers were acquitted of any wrongdoing.

Correa is now suing Fantino, claiming the former chief targeted him in a negligent and malicious prosecution by laying charges without any evidence and using the case to "bolster his image in the media."

The document states the former police chief allegedly conspired with several of the force's internal affairs investigators to lay charges against Correa and leak information to the media about it in a bid to sabotage the 22-year veteran's credibility.

Statement of claim
Correa's statement of claim also says that an internal affairs investigator learned that Fantino was allegedly involved in wiretapping the chair of the Police Services Board.

The document also states that a lead internal affairs investigator stumbled upon embarrassing information about Fantino from a high-

ranking organized crime member they considered to be credible.

Those allegations included that Fantino's son was a "known drug user" and the "target of a plan by a Toronto police officer … to blackmail Mr. Fantino by taking incriminating photos of Fantino's son" in an effort to get the chief dismissed, the document states.

The same source informed the investigator that Fantino had also allegedly received unauthorized freebies from a business in Woodbridge, the statement says.

Both Fantino and the acting chair of Toronto's Police Services Board have declined comment. A statement of defence has not yet been filed.