Conspiracy, theft charges laid against PC constituency officials

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This article was published 28/09/2021 (1221 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police say two brothers charged with multiple offences under the Election Financing Act following the 2019 provincial election face related criminal charges.

Rajbir Grewal, 30, and Rajpal Grewal, 32, were arrested in February; both were charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and theft over $5,000.

The investigation into the pair by the financial crimes unit began in January 2020, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Jay Murray said Tuesday.

Rajbir Grewal is the former treasurer of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party’s Waverley constituency association. His brother Rajpal Grewal is the former president.

Manitoba PC party spokesman Keith Stewart said in an email to the Free Press Monday that the party was alerted to financial irregularities in constituency bank records by the Waverley PC Association in the fall of 2019.

“After reporting these matters to Elections Manitoba, the PC party did further investigations which resulted in the party concluding that a significant amount of money may have been misappropriated from the constituency association,” he said.

Winnipeg police were asked to investigate and criminal charges have been laid.

The Free Press has reported that the brothers face multiple charges under the provincial Election Financing Act and are due in court next week. The charges include obstructing an investigation, withholding information or materials relevant to an investigation and failing to provide information sought by the commissioner or a representative for the purposes of an investigation.

NDP finance critic Mark Wasyliw said it’s “concerning” that election finance and criminal charges have been laid against the former PC executive officers in MLA Jon Reyes’ constituency.

“The serious and significant list of charges against these PC party members, combined with recent allegations of membership fraud in the PC leadership race, show the PCs are breaking the rules,” Wasyliw said in a statement. “The PC party and all persons involved in this matter, including cabinet minister Jon Reyes, owe Manitobans an explanation.”

The press secretary for Reyes deferred to the party for comment on the charges.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca