Achi news desk-
Police say they have arrested a prominent Canadian businessman in a sexual assault investigation and charged him with several alleged crimes, including rape.
Peel Regional Police, west of Toronto, said Friday night they had arrested 91-year-old Frank Stronach in connection with alleged sexual assaults dating back decades.
“The sexual assaults are alleged to stretch from the 1980s to as recently as 2023,” researchers said in a statement.
Peel police confirmed to Global News that the Frank Stronach they arrested was the Canadian businessman, and said he had been released with conditions pending a court date.
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Stronach faces five criminal charges: rape, indecent assault on a female, two counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.
According to a biography on the University of Toronto website introducing Stronach as “executive in residence,” he came to Canada in 1954 from Austria.
He made his money in auto parts, with billions of dollars in sales worldwide.
Stronach’s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said his client “emphatically denies the allegations of impropriety that have been brought against him. He looks forward to the opportunity to respond fully to the charges and to uphold his legacy as a philanthropist and as an icon of the Canadian business community.”
The Stronach Group, founded by Stronach, issued a statement confirming that it was aware of the “serious allegations” against Frank Stronach but “has not had a formal role or been involved in the company’s operations in any capacity for several years year.”
The statement concluded that the matter is before the courts and that the company has nothing further to say.
Peel police said they are appealing for anyone with more information – or who believes there are more alleged victims – to come forward.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
