Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach, who faces multiple sex assault charges dating back decades, has had his court case put over to Nov. 4.
A Crown attorney told a Brampton court today that the case is expected to be transferred to Toronto, where most of the offences are alleged to have occurred.
The 92-year-old Stronach was first charged in early June, and more complainants have come forward.
He now faces 18 charges related to 13 accusers in alleged offences dating from 1977 to as recently as February of this year.
On Monday, Peel Regional Police (PRP) issued a press release indicating Stronach had been charged in a historical sexual assault investigation concerning incidents that allegedly occurred between 1981 and 1994.
The five additional offences were laid at the Ontario Court of Justice. The charges include one count each of rape, indecent assault on a female and three counts of sexual assault.
“We recognize the high level of public interest in this investigation and are committed to providing updates responsibly and when appropriate,” PRP wrote in the release. “No further information, other than the information included in this news release, will be provided until the next scheduled update.”
Stronach became one of Canada’s wealthiest people in 1957 when he created auto parts giant Magna in his garage. He also founded The Stronach Group, a company that specializes in horse racing, and Stronach International in 2018, a company focusing on organic foods and “micro-electric mobility.”
Stronach resigned as Magna’s chairman in 2011 and founded his own political party in his native Austria the following year.