Hector Addison, a consultant who recently headed the public consultations for Ottawa’s next police chief, has been charged with forgery following a public prosecution effort led by 613-819 Black Hub co-lead Robin Browne.
The Ottawa Crown Attorney’s office formally took carriage of the prosecution in a brief appearance Tuesday morning before Justice of the Peace Sylvie Lapointe.
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Browne successfully argued the case in August and Addison had initially been due to appear in court in October.
Addison is represented in the case by Ottawa criminal defence lawyer Jason Gilbert and is due to appear next in court in January.
Gilbert confirmed in an email he is representing Addison and said he put in a formal request for disclosure of evidence from the Crown last week. Gilbert said he is still awaiting that disclosure after Tuesday’s hearing was adjourned.
The charges against Addison are connected to his alleged forging of the signature of an executive at the Somerset Community Health Centre on letters requesting funding for the African Canadian Association of Ottawa (ACAO), which Addison founded, and Equal Chance, an Ottawa group serving vulnerable members of Ottawa’s Black communities.
The OPSB drew criticism this summer for awarding Addison’s firm, Hefid Solutions, a $76,000 public consultation contract to determine community priorities around Ottawa’s next chief of police.
Hefid presented the results of those consultations to the board in July, but failed to identify those who had provided information and comments. Addison also told the board that Hefid had gone over the $7,500 budget slated for honorarium payments, but declined to reveal to whom it had paid its honorariums, citing privacy concerns.
Robin Browne, the co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub, a community group that works to combat anti-Black racism, was vocal in his criticism of Addison when the police board was awarding Hefid Solutions the public consultation contract.
“The 613-819 Black Hub had informed both the Crime Prevention Ottawa board and the Ottawa Police Services Board of concerns with Hefid Solutions – including the possible forgery,” the 613-819 Black Hub media release said.
Browne said he first brought the forgery concerns to an investigator in the OPS’s organized fraud/criminal investigation division, but the investigator told him the crown prosecutor will not want to pursue “if Addison did not gain anything from this forgery.”
The 613-819 Black Hub then undertook a private prosecution, a process where anyone can apply for criminal charges to be laid. After presenting evidence before a justice of the peace, a crown attorney decided to lay the forgery charge against Addison.
“This is yet another example of how the OPS only serves itself and protects its friends – even those allegedly engaged in criminal activity”, said Robin Browne, co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub. “Let’s continue the process of defunding the Ottawa Police Service and reimagining public safety in Ottawa.”
Forgery is a criminal offece punishable by up to 10 years in prison, if the crown decides to proceed by indictment.
The Hub called for CPO to “immediately cancel the $50,000 contract with Hefid Solutions and for the Ottawa Police Services Board to set aside the results of the community engagement done by Hefid and hire another firm, via a transparent selection process, to do a proper community engagement for the police chief recruitment process.
The Hub highlighted Addison’s connection to the CEC, which is funded by the OPS and co-chaired by acting OPS chief Steve Bell. Bell is also a director of Crime Prevention Ottawa, which had awarded a $50,000 contract to Hefid to develop a street crime prevention strategy.
“The OPSB awarding Hefid a $76,000 contract to help recruit Ottawa’s new police chief – a job for which Steve Bell is expected to be a candidate – is, therefore, a direct conflict of interest,” the 613-819 Black Hub said.
with files from Aedan Helmer
