(OTTAWA) A former Liberal MP appears Monday in an Ontario court seeking the dismissal of two criminal charges of breach of trust related to his tenure.
Raj Grewal’s lawyer is expected to argue in court that prosecutors have not presented enough evidence to convict him of breach of trust.
The Crown is trying to show that MP Grewal used his political office for personal gain, offering access to events with the Prime Minister and help with immigration matters, in exchange for large loans that were used to repay his gambling debts.
But in written arguments filed in court, the defense argues that Mr. Grewal’s conduct falls outside the Criminal Code at all and that the Crown’s case does not hold water.
Me Nader Hasan argues in the document that there is a difference between abusing his official status for corrupt purposes and making a mistake while performing his duties.
Elected in 2015 as MP for Brampton East, north of Toronto, Mr. Grewal left the Liberal caucus in 2018 when his gambling problem became known to the general public. He did not seek re-election in the next general election in 2019.