OPP confirms investigation into Ottawa city councillor

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a member of Ottawa city council, a spokesman confirmed to CBC Thursday afternoon.

The OPP would not say who the councillor is or what they're being investigated for.

The news was first reported by the Ottawa Citizen.

According to a statement from OPP spokesman Bill Dickson, the Ottawa Police Service "requested the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct an investigation into the conduct of a member of Ottawa City Council" in October.

"An investigation has commenced and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Chiarelli not aware of OPP probe

In his most recent report on the misconduct of Coun. Rick Chiarelli, Integrity Commissioner Robert Marleau wrote that he referred some information that came to him through his months-long investigation into the College ward councillor's behaviour "to the appropriate authorities."

Many of the witnesses who participated in the investigation into Chiarelli's conduct — which the the integrity commissioner described as "incomprehensible incidents of harassment" — told CBC that they gave long testimonies to the integrity commissioner.

But only information that was relevant to the formal complaints was included in the report. And if the integrity commissioner becomes aware of information that could be in "contravention" of any laws outside his jurisdiction, he is obligated to report it.

Marleau wrote that "on review of the testimony of several individuals," he determined that there were "reasonable grounds" that other laws may have been broken.

"I did not investigate those issues and referred the matters to the appropriate authorities."

Chiarelli's office said in an emailed statement that the councillor "has not been made aware of an OPP investigation."

Both the city solicitor and the city clerk said they could not say which councillor was under OPP investigation, citing confidentiality rules.