Ex-police union execs acquitted of fraud

Defence says decision shows jury believed men acted for good of OPPA

A Toronto jury has found three former top officials of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, a lawyer and businessman, not guilty of fraud relating to their purchase of a travel agency almost five years after the RCMP laid the charges.

The jury retired late Monday afternoon and returned to Superior Court on Wednesday at supper time to acquit James Christie, who was the OPPA president; Karl Walsh, the union’s former chief administrative officer; and Martin Bain. He was vice-president when he was charged with defrauding the OPPA.

Prosecutors alleged they defrauded the union by using OPPA funds to help pay for their share of a travel agency, and tried to conceal what they were doing.

Jurors also acquitted Toronto lawyer Andy McKay and businessman Noel Chantiam, represented by defence lawyer Peter Brauti. (Chantiam said he has been incorrectly identified in media reports as Francis.)

After the jury forewoman read out the verdicts, the men, some with tears in their eyes, embraced their lawyers and expressed relief that they had been cleared.

Defence lawyer Louis Strezos, who represented Bain, said the verdicts demonstrate that jurors believed the men — who all testified — that they bought the travel agency to benefit the OP

PA’s 10,000 members, not enrich themselves as alleged by the prosecution.

“Today’s verdict confirms what we already knew. They are innocent men, what they did was taken out of context, misunderstood and they always had, in everything they did, the best interest of the Ontario Provincial Police Association,” Strezos said, adding: “It’s been a long five years.”

Christie’s life was blown apart when the charges against him were laid, said his lawyer, Julianna Greenspan. He had been

“at a place in his life where he was happiest serving the members of OPPA,” and when this happened, it was a “hard fall.” The verdicts should help restore his reputation to where it deserves to be, she said.

Defence lawyer David Humphrey, who represented McKay, said his client — who worked for but was not a member of the OPPA — has always maintained his innocence. “He’s gratified that a jury that heard the entire case and gave it careful consideration has found him not guilty.”