Former Brampton councillor Gurpreet Dhillon is once again demanding the City of Brampton remove Integrity Commissioner Muneeza Sheikh's 2020 report, after his lawyer says he confirmed the woman behind the original allegations withdrew them three years ago through her own legal counsel.
Dhillon's lawyer, Eric Gillespie, issued a press release on July 15 saying he has now communicated directly with the complainant's former lawyer, who confirmed the process required by the Law Society of Ontario — including verification of the woman's identity — was followed when a withdrawal letter was sent to City of Brampton legal staff in 2023.
It may not have been clear at the time, but the withdrawal letter was provided by the complainant's legal counsel. We have now communicated with them. They have confirmed the process required by the Law Society was followed, specifically including the lawyer verifying the identity of their client. There is then no rational basis for anyone to doubt the veracity of the withdrawal given its source and this confirmation.
According to The Pointer, which first reported the story, the woman wrote to the City on September 1, 2023, seeking a withdrawal of the sexual misconduct allegations she made against Dhillon in late 2019 and early 2020, stemming from a Brampton trade mission to Turkey. She wrote that she was not withdrawing her accusations because of any pressure or threats, and that her memory of the events may have been clouded by emotional distress, misinformation and coercion from people who were not genuine.
The Pointer reported that in April 2024, the City's then-head lawyer, Sameer Akhtar, wrote a memo to all members of council confirming he had received the letter through a lawyer in late October 2023.
Integrity Commissioner says she cannot verify letter
Sheikh has maintained she cannot alter or remove her 2020 report, which sided with the woman and led council to suspend Dhillon for 90 days without pay. Delegating virtually to council on May 6, she said she had "exhausted all of my own means to try and make contact with the complainant" to verify the letter.
Sheikh told council earlier this year she could not verify the letter. The Pointer reported she did not respond to questions asking why she did not go to the woman's lawyer herself to confirm its authenticity. Mayor Patrick Brown also did not respond to questions from the outlet.
Gillespie's release argues the City is under no statutory duty to keep publishing the report. "The City is under no statutory duty to publish misleading and/or false information," he said, warning the City has been advised to remove the report "or face substantial claims against it."
Dhillon has previously threatened a $5-million lawsuit against the City. In a statement to The Pointer, Gillespie stopped short of confirming legal action will be filed.
That's really up to the City. Our client believes there is a proper basis to proceed. So it's really in the hands of the City at this stage.
Gillespie also raised concerns about Sheikh's role, stating in the release that she recently attempted to investigate the matter without council authorization and previously launched legal proceedings against current and former councillors, including Dhillon, putting her in a conflict of interest.
City of Brampton Media Relations Manager Kennisha Petgrave said the decision is out of the City's hands. "Any further decision on this matter rests with the Integrity Commissioner, Muneeza Sheikh," she said in a statement.
Dhillon has denied the allegations from the beginning and was never criminally charged. Peel Regional Police previously confirmed they did not pursue an investigation.
Dhillon, who served as a councillor until 2022, has registered for this year's municipal election and is campaigning to represent wards 9 and 10 as a city and regional councillor.
