Fraud recovery lawyer named Richmond Hill’s new integrity commissioner

Norman Groot, representing the Toronto-based law firm Investigation Counsel P.C., assumed the role Dec. 23

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 3, 2020
Shelia Wang

A new integrity commissioner assumed the role in Richmond Hill on Dec. 23, taking over the complaints left by his predecessor, who was abruptly dismissed in October.

Richmond Hill announced on Dec. 19. the appointment of Norman J. Groot, representing the Toronto-based law firm Investigation Counsel P.C., as the city’s new accountability officer.

Groot is responsible for providing mandated services including advising council on ethical issues and investigating breaches of the code of conduct, according to the job description in the city’s ad.

Investigation Counsel is a legal services provider with a focus on fraud and debt recovery litigation.

Groot, founder and principal, is a former police officer in Peel Region who specializes in fraud recovery litigation for victims, according to the law firm’s website.

Groot wrote to the Liberal, confirming he has “no formal experience as an integrity commissioner.”

His extensive experience in fraud recovery investigations and litigation, as well as defence of police officers in civil litigation, Groot added, should “serve me well investigating and adjudicating the type of complaints that I have come to understand are received by a municipal integrity commissioner.”

The new commissioner may not have much experience in the field or in Richmond Hill, but one of his former employees --Al Itwar --is no stranger to the city’s political realm.

Itwar was a lawyer with Investigation Counsel P.C., according to the law firm's website, archived in 2016.

A 2013 article in The Liberal stated that Itwar was the vice-chairperson of Regional Councillor Carmine Perrelli’s campaign in the 2010 election when Perrelli ran in the race for Ward 2 councillor.

Itwar was also vice-chairperson of the steering committee of the Richmond Hill Watchdog Committee, a residents’ group that was most active in 2013, The Liberal reported.

The watchdog group reportedly targeted then regional councillors Vito Spatafora and Brenda Hogg for their support of a subsidized housing and youth shelter project, which Perrelli and Coun. Greg Beros were opposed to.

The new commissioner is expected to review the five code of conduct complaints put on hold since the dismissal of the previous integrity commissioner, Deborah Anschell, representing ADR Chambers Inc, according to Clerk Stephen Huycke.

The city’s annual budget for the services remains unchanged --$33,000.

Richmond Hill paid over $52,000 to ADR Chambers Inc from December 2018 to November 2019, which is about $20,000 beyond the annual budget set aside for the integrity commissioner services, the Liberal previously reported.

The city has not processed all the invoices for the past year, and thus the final total amount is unavailable as of Dec. 24, according to the city’s spokesperson Kathleen Graver.

The city paid an annual retainer fee plus an hourly rate for the former commissioner’s service.

But it is unclear as to the new financial arrangements between the new commissioner and the city.

“Integrity Commissioners are not obligated to disclose contract information outside of the Freedom of Information process,” Graver wrote on Dec. 20.

The Liberal filed a Freedom of Information request on Jan. 2.