The Prime Minister’s Office says Brampton East MP Raj Grewal is stepping away from federal politics to deal with a gambling problem.
The Ontario politician announced Thursday he was stepping down immediately due to “personal and medical reasons.”
In a statement Friday, the PMO said Grewal informed the office earlier this week that he was receiving treatment from a health professional “related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts.”
“Based on these circumstances, we agreed that his decision to resign as the member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one,” the statement said. “We hope he receives the support he needs.”
That language echoed a tweet sent out late Thursday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a few hours after Grewal’s announcement.
Yesterday, I learned that Raj Grewal is facing serious personal challenges, and today he announced he is stepping down as Member of Parliament for Brampton East. While it may have been a difficult decision, it was the right one. I hope he receives the support he needs.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 22, 2018
The PMO also said in its statement it was unaware of any investigation by Peel Regional Police into Grewal’s situation.
“We are not in a position to confirm details about any ongoing investigations and/or to release information about individuals who are under investigation,” Danny Marttini-Chapman said in an email. “Due privacy considerations and to maintain the integrity of our investigations.”
The PMO, however, said that it did know the RCMP had made inquiries related to a complaint to the federal ethics commissioner earlier this year.
NDP MP Charlie Angus asked the ethics commissioner to investigate Grewal for inviting Yusuf Yenilmez, CEO of ZGemi Inc., to a number of receptions in India during the prime minister’s trip there in February.
That ethics investigation has not been completed.
Be the first to comment