Article content continued

Ishraki and Const. Putinski are further charged with fraud for what police say was a false insurance claim made about a collision sometime between March 7 and last week.

RCMP say Veronika Ishraki, a family member of Ishraki’s, knew about the alleged criminal arrangement between Ishraki and the officers and have also charged her with secret commissions.

Assaad’s actions as a police officer have come under scrutiny not just from the public but from fellow officers, who wonder what information, whether about their cases or themselves, may have been leaked outside the organization.

Assaad has also been the subject of a civilian complaint to the force, where it was alleged he used his position as an officer for personal gain, this newspaper has learned.

A complaint was made to Ottawa police about a dating site profile where pictures of a police badge and an officer in uniform were used. That complaint was made in the fall of 2019, months after RCMP officially began its corruption probe.

The complainant alleged that the behaviour was an “abuse of power” where the officer was using his badge and uniform for personal gain.

That profile purporting to be someone named “Joe” used pictures of Assaad and claimed to be an Ottawa police detective who investigated crimes against women.

Assaad, prior to his suspension with pay, was a detective in the city force’s human trafficking unit.

It’s not known whether Assaad was operating the profile, though he was named by the complainant.

jpg

Ottawa police would not comment on any disciplinary complaints made against Assaad or the result of any previous misconduct investigations, saying that the service “does not discuss internal discipline matters.”

Efforts to reach Assaad through his lawyer were unsuccessful.

None of the criminal allegations against Assaad or his co-accused has been tested in court.

syogaretnam@postmedia.com

twitter.com/shaaminiwhy