Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Office has finally cleared the air surrounding the sudden resignation of Brampton East MP and prominent Punjabi diaspora leader Raj Grewal, saying he had stepped aside from federal politics to deal with his long-standing “gambling problem”.
Grewal, who assumed office on October 19, 2015, had made the announcement via Facebook on Thursday citing “personal and medical” reasons. Gambling issue had not surfaced at that time.
Raj Grewal's sudden resignation as a Liberal MP was prompted by a gambling problem, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
On Friday, the PMO issued a statement saying that Grewal had informed the office earlier this week "that he is undergoing serious personal challenges and that he is receiving treatment from a health professional related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts.
Dear Brampton East, I would like to start by thanking all of you for the overwhelming support and concern since my...
Posted by Raj Grewal on Friday, 23 November 2018
Dear Brampton East, Yesterday, I informed the Chief Government Whip that I will be resigning my seat as Member of...
Posted by Raj Grewal on Thursday, 22 November 2018
"Based on these circumstances, we agreed that his decision to resign as Member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one. We hope he receives the support he needs."
The statement, issued in response to numerous media inquiries, went on to say: "We are not aware of an investigation by the Peel Regional Police. We are aware of inquiries by the RCMP regarding the circumstances that were the subject of a complaint to the ethics commissioner about Mr. Grewal earlier this year."
Yesterday, I learned that Raj Grewal is facing serious personal challenges, and today he announced he is stepping down as Member of Parliament for Brampton East. While it may have been a difficult decision, it was the right one. I hope he receives the support he needs.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 22, 2018
Ethics watchdog Mario Dion launched a formal inquiry last May after two opposition MPs expressed concerns that Grewal might have been in a conflict of interest when he invited a construction executive — who was paying Grewal for legal services at the time — to official events with Justin Trudeau during the prime minister's trip to India early this year.
The conflict-of-interest code prohibits MPs from using their positions to further their private interests or to improperly further another person's interests.
It's not clear what prompted the PMO's reference to the Peel police and a spokesperson for the force declined to comment.
"We do not confirm if we are investigating an individual or if there is an active investigation," said Const. Akhil Mooken. "The only time we would share information on an individual is if charges were laid."
