TORONTO — The lead investigator in Frank Stronach’s sexual assault case says police were limited in what they could do to look into the allegations against the billionaire businessman.
Peel Regional Police Sgt. Gabe Di Nardo is facing questions from the defence regarding the investigation that led police to charge Stronach with multiple sexual offences in 2024.
Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh asked the sergeant this morning whether he had simply taken the complainants’ allegations at face value or taken steps to “investigate their veracity.”
The officer said he generally believes people are telling the truth unless he has reason to think they’re lying, which he didn’t in this case, prompting Shemesh to suggest he hadn’t done anything to check.
Di Nardo told the court police were “limited in that factor” given how much time had passed since the alleged incidents, and the absence of evidence such as surveillance video.
He agreed there were other documents police could have sought but didn’t, such as employment or housing records.
Stronach, who became one of Canada’s wealthiest people as the founder and former CEO of the auto parts manufacturer Magna International, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges related to allegations made by seven complainants. The alleged incidents span from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Prosecutors have since dropped five charges related to three complainants.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.
The Canadian Press
