17°c Overcast
14°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
T.O. mayor combative in $6-M lawsuit
Repeats allegations in defamation case
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford�s in legal spat. (CP)
TORONTO -- The brash, unapologetic style characteristic of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's tenure was on display in court Friday as he took the stand in a defamation lawsuit against him, repeating the assertions for which he is being sued.
Restaurant owner George Foulidis is alleging in a $6-million suit that Ford libelled him when the mayor suggested a leasing deal between Foulidis' company Tuggs Inc. and the city was corrupt.
Toronto city council extended a 20-year lease Foulidis had for his Boardwalk Cafe restaurant on public land in a sole-sourced, untendered contract for another 20 years in the summer of 2010 -- the middle of Ford's ultimately successful campaign to become mayor.
In court, the mayor was on the offensive while defending himself, saying the police should be brought in to investigate the deal.
"The process to me and the sole-sourcing of this doesn't smell right," he said. "Whoever's part of that deal, I've always said I want the police to investigate... . No one can do anything because of this trial right now."
Ford also testified when he suggested the Tuggs deal was corrupt he wasn't implying illegality, he was suggesting proper processes weren't followed.
"I can't pinpoint it, but even to this day people still say the deal stinks to high heaven, but it's hard to pinpoint and prove, but I'm not the only one saying that," Ford said. "I've never seen a deal like this and it just didn't add up to me. I still feel that way."
Foulidis is suing Ford over comments in a Toronto Sun article based on a meeting between Ford and its editorial board. Foulidis alleges Ford's comments about the Tuggs deal defamed him because he is the man behind Tuggs and the owner/operator of the Boardwalk Cafe.
"These in-camera meetings, there's more corruption and skulduggery going on in there than I've ever seen in my life," Ford told the editorial board. "And if Tuggs isn't then I don't know what is.
Foulidis' lawyer, Brian Shiller, asked Ford what he meant by that and appeared to be frustrated by Ford's vague answers about closed-door meetings and eventually the judge stepped in, telling the mayor the court would not take its morning break until he answered the question.
"I think the question is quite plain," said Ontario Superior Court Justice John Macdonald and he repeated the question. "That's the question Mr. Ford. What's the answer?"
After a bit more back-and-forth with Shiller, Ford agreed he was suggesting the Tuggs deal was an example of "corruption and skulduggery."
"In my view, how it was done and how it was operated, yes," Ford said.
Ford's lawyer is arguing the mayor was talking about Foulidis' business, Tuggs Inc., and companies can't be defamed.
In the editorial board interview, audio of which was played in court Friday, Ford appears to associate a mention of the name Foulidis with Tuggs. The mayor has testified he didn't know Foulidis at the time the comments were made, but he might have heard the name around city hall.
"I don't know the man, so I would never cast aspersions on someone I don't know," Ford testified.
He said while he suspected -- and still suspects -- something about the deal was not right, any wrongdoing wasn't necessarily by Foulidis, but perhaps by city councillors or staff. Ford slammed the in-camera meeting about the Tuggs deal, saying he wishes that meeting and all in-camera meetings were public.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 17, 2012 A25
More Canada
- Back to Top
- Return to Canada
More Canada
(1 of 9 articles for today)
Quebec journalist and author in critical condition after car accident
3:08 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Canada
- Canadian trucker centre of bridge-collapse inquiry
- 'I do not use crack cocaine': Ford ends week of silence on crack video scandal
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Doug Ford denies Globe report that he dealt hashish in 80s
- Sask. premier says time to abolish Senate
- Ethics investigations can only go so far, commissioner reminds Canadians
- Parents of dead toddler scream, swear in court
- Ex-cop slain in Mexico loved animals: friend
- An NDP MP loses his role because of lengthy history of non-payment of taxes
- Retired Vancouver police officer dead in Mexico recalled as friend, animal lover
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Mother cries, yells as driver appears in court charged with killing boy on patio
- Harper to be on hot seat at Tuesday caucus after chief of staff quits
- Abrupt departure for Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff amid 'crack video' scandal
- Toronto mayor stays silent about alleged crack video as Trudeau, Wynne weigh in
- Baird takes the heat, Harper sheds little light on Senate spending scandal
- Canadian and American missing for nearly two weeks in Mexico
- 'I do not use crack cocaine': Ford ends week of silence on crack video scandal
- First-degree murder charge to be laid in test drive death; remains badly burned
- Multiple fatalities after serious crash near U.S. border
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Canadian tourist dies after falling from hotel in Mexican resort
- Crack-cocaine video allegations 'ridiculous,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says
- Arrest made in case of Hamilton, Ont., man missing after pickup truck test drive
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- A look at the life and career of Ray Novak, prime minister's new chief of staff
- Act of God allows cutoff of compensation for residents impacted by landslide
- Canadian trucker centre of bridge-collapse inquiry
- Sask. premier says time to abolish Senate
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Canadian and American missing for nearly two weeks in Mexico
- Harper government buying ads to promote job grant program that doesn't yet exist
- A look at the life and career of Ray Novak, prime minister's new chief of staff
- Toronto, eh? Late-night TV cracks up audiences with jibes at Mayor Rob Ford
- Second suspect in test drive killing charged with first-degree murder
- Canadians invited to weigh in on wind turbine proposal for Juno Beach
- Appointees to EI boards broke guidelines by making political donations
- U.S. bill would give Canadian snowbirds more time to spend in the sun
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Man with no arms plans to fight seatbelt ticket, wants apology from police
- Leaving Saskatoon: police mourn homeless drunk they considered a friend
- Commanding officer of Canadian Forces base in Alberta charged with sex assault
- Duffy bailout by Harper's chief of staff prompts allegations of coverup by PMO
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- Woman run over three times by her own car
- Prince Philip presented with Order of Canada during royal visit to Toronto
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.