No date yet for Del Mastro conviction appeal
Former Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro says he is still planning a second appeal of his conviction on election fraud charges, although he doesn’t yet have a date before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Del Mastro said in an interview Monday that there’s still work to be done on the forthcoming appeal, such as ordering and filing court transcripts.
“We’re following through with those procedures,” he said, adding that he’s looking forward to his case being heard in court again. He didn’t say when that might be.
“Obviously, the sooner the better for me,” he said.
In the fall of 2014, Del Mastro was found guilty in Lindsay court of violating the Elections Act during his 2008 re-election campaign. He was convicted of having overspent on his campaign and of having taken steps to cover it up.
In June 2015, he was sentenced to a month in jail plus four months of house arrest. He spent one night in jail at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay and then was released pending an appeal.
Nearly five months ago, Del Mastro lost that appeal and spent six days at the Lindsay superjail before being released on bail again to have his appeal heard one more time.
Meanwhile, Del Mastro and his cousin David announced last December that they were opening a $26-million solar farm. That farm apparently never opened.
The solar farm, slated to open in April, was meant to provide an inexpensive source of electricity for citizens of Barbados. But it never opened, according to the newspaper Barbados Today.
Neither Del Mastro nor his cousin David has answered questions about the solar farm since the initial announcement last December.
Dean Del Mast rowouldn’ t answer questions about the solar farm on Monday either. When asked about the plan, he said it was “good” and said it’s one of many projects he’s currently pursuing.
He didn’t offer any detail about any of those projects, but he said he’s been busy.
“If there’s anything people know about me, it’s that I don’t sit still,” Del Mastro said.
David Del Mastro has been in court lately, too. He was acquitted in May after being accused of putting too much money into Dean Del Mastro’s 2008 re-election campaign.
About 22 employees of David Del Mastro’s company in Mississauga, Deltro Electric, each donated $1,000 to Dean Del Mastro’s campaign and each received a cheque of $1,050 in return from the company.
But the court couldn’t prove allegations that David Del Mastro had organized the plan.