Preliminary hearing against former P.E.I. clergyman gets underway

Harold Alan Stewart, four others facing number of charges

A preliminary hearing started Monday in Durham, Ont., in the case against former P.E.I. Presbyterian minister Harold Alan Stewart.

Stewart, 67, and four co-accused are alleged to have defrauded an 89-year-old woman, among other crimes.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled to last at least nine days. The courts use such proceedings to determine whether the evidence against someone is strong enough to proceed to trial.

Stewart was charged in November 2016, following an investigation Ontario police called Project Banshee.

Police allege that the Stewart and his co-accused befriended the victim and eventually gained access to her credit card and took out a mortgage against her property. The victim’s losses were about $160,000.

According to local media reports in Ontario, police also allege at least one other victim lost more than $325,000 to the group of co-accused.

One of them is also alleged to have attempted to defraud a charitable organization of more than $525,000

Stewart has been charged with conspiracy, fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000, one count related to the use of a credit card, possession of stolen property valued at more than $5,000, uttering forged documents, laundering the proceeds of crime, theft by power of attorney, using false pretenses and being part of a criminal organization.