After the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, it is the turn of the mayor of Brossard, Doreen Assaad, to be sued for defamation in the affair of “Chinese police stations” abroad, this time by a colleague on the council municipal.
Xixi Li, municipal councilor for the city of Brossard, filed an initiating application to the Court of Quebec on Thursday in her name and that of one of the two community organizations intended for the Chinese community that she directs, the Center Sino-Québec of the South Shore.
In pursuit, including The duty obtained a copy, Ms. Li claims to have “seen her working relationships at town hall becoming more and more tense and […] its competence constantly in doubt” in the wake of revelations that the RCMP was leading investigations against two Chinese community centers suspected of foreign interference.
“The plaintiff saw her motivation and devotion crushed under the weight of the comments made by her work colleague,” Mayor Doreen Assaad, adds the lawsuit.
Faced with “enormous stress”, Mme Li found herself “forced to lock herself in her home to escape the remarks and comments of residents and journalists waiting for her on the grounds of her property”.
The plaintiff also claims to have used medication to sleep, in addition to consulting a social worker for six months.
The lawsuit accuses Mayor Assaad of having made comments that could harm the reputation of Ms.me Li and the Center Sino-Québec, notably on its Facebook page and in interviews granted to the media.
Mme Assaad had notably indicated in an interview with The Press that Ms. Li’s behavior during the last election campaign “raised ethical questions”.
“The comments made by the defendant as mayor had a certain influence on popular consciousness, amplifying their impact on the plaintiff, who saw the attitude of citizens change towards her,” we can read in the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are seeking a total of $68,000 in moral and punitive damages.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal, the Center Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud and Ms. Li filed another defamation suit against the RCMP for an amount totaling $5 million.