OPP to investigate Vaughan deputy mayor

Michael Di Biase accused in case involving relationships with developers

An OPP investigation has been launched into Vaughan Deputy Mayor Michael Di Biase’s role in development deals, according to the man who filed the complaint.

Richard Lorello alleges that Di Biase’s cottage is being built with the help of one of the companies that Di Biase may have helped get work from the city.

“Today (Thursday) around 2 p.m., an OPP officer said the OPP was taking over the investigation,” Lorello told the Star. Shortly after, he says, he was also contacted by an OPP detective inspector with the criminal investigations branch.

“In the last 48 hours, between the York Regional Police and the OPP, they decided that the OPP would take over the investigation,” Lorello told the Star. Lorello has a history of challenging Vaughan council members on issues of transparency and accountability and has unsuccessfully run for council.

Earlier Thursday, the Vaughan Citizen reported that, according to its sources, York Region Police had launched an investigation into city contracts signed during Di Biase’s 24 years in office, including his time in the mayor’s chair from 2002 to 2006 and, more recently, while a local and regional councillor.

Officers are also looking into any role he might have played in the city’s tendering process to secure municipal contracts for companies, including Maystar General Contractors, the firm that built Vaughan city hall, a source told the Citizen.

The Star could not confirm with either the OPP or York police that a formal investigation has been launched. Lorello stated he had been clearly told by the OPP that an “investigation” is underway.

Di Biase has denied Lorello’s allegations. He did not comment to the Star but told the Citizen he had not heard about any police investigation. “I am not even sure that there’s truth to this. It’s news to me. You’re telling me this for the first time.”

Morris Manning, Di Biase’s lawyer, told the Citizen he knows “nothing about a police investigation.”

Maystar did not return requests for comment from the Citizen. The Star is not aware of any allegations against the developer.

Much of Lorello’s complaint, which he said was recorded in taped interviews with the OPP and later with York Regional Police, was included in a recent scathing report by Vaughan’s integrity commissioner, Suzanne Craig.

Three weeks ago she ruled that she could not deal with matters in Lorello’s complaint to her “which on their face are allegations of a criminal nature.” But Craig did rule on other matters in the complaint, finding that Di Biase used undue influence in his attempt to help developer Maystar General secure a contract with the city. Her findings did not mention any wrongdoing by Maystar.

Craig wrote that Di Biase used “de- fiance, abusive language and intimidating actions” when staff told him the bidding process for the contract had to follow specific rules.

Her report included interviews with staff who said Di Biase tried to aggressively influence them to give the contract to Maystar.

Eventually Vaughan council voted to strip Di Biase of 90 days’ pay for his actions, the harshest penalty under the law for municipal code of conduct violations, which is what council determined based on Craig’s findings.

Lorello said he’s glad that a criminal investigation is now underway.

“It’s been five months since I first went to the police.”