Susan Fennell cleared of criminal wrongdoing
An OPP investigation into the former Brampton mayor’s spending while on city council has ended and “no further criminal investigation was recommended.”

thestar.com
Feb. 5, 2015
By San Grewal

Former Brampton mayor Susan Fennell has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing following a police investigation into her spending while on council.

In a document obtained by the Star Thursday, Peel Region chief of police Jennifer Evans stated that the Ontario Provincial Police have concluded their probe and that “no further criminal investigation was recommended.”

In August, Brampton council passed a motion to send the findings of a forensic audit of council spending to the police for investigation.

The audit by Deloitte Canada found that Fennell and her staff had broken the city’s spending rules 266 times over seven years, totalling $172,608. The other ten members of council also broke spending rules for $42,979 in transactions.

The audit’s findings were originally sent to Peel police, but since many Brampton councillors sit on regional council, which controls the police budget, and since Fennell was a member of the Peel Police Services Board, the investigation was sent to the OPP.

The document states that the OPP had concerns with some of the spending by a member of council who did not seek re-election, but Evans stated no further investigation into the matter will be conducted.

Fennell provided the following statement to the Brampton Guardian Thursday: “I’m grateful that the police have reached this conclusion. I said, many months ago, that I welcome their involvement, and I stated that I would be exonerated. That has now happened. It has been a very difficult time for both my family and I. We are grateful, however, for the support we have received from our many friends in Brampton.”

Neither Peel police nor the OPP could be reached to confirm the validity of the document, but Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey’s office confirmed a letter from Evans was received Thursday and it was shared with all members of council.

Fennell has initiated a judicial review in the courts seeking $450,000 in damages. The respondents in her application are the City of Brampton and its integrity commissioner Robert Swayze.

Fennell wants the Divisional Court to quash two motions passed by council in November: one that stripped her of 90 days pay for violating the city’s Code of Conduct by breaking spending rules; and one that clawed back $144,150 from her remuneration for limousine rides that she could not prove were for city business.

The city has notified the court it will appear at the hearing. No date has been set to deal with the matter.