TORONTO -A court document relating to the drug arrest of Alexander “Sandro” Lisi alleges Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was part of a police investigation.
The document says an alleged video that appears to show Ford using crack cocaine was the focus of an investigation that led to dozens of arrests. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The Toronto Star reported earlier this year that Lisi was looking for the alleged video, the existence of which Ford has denied.
Global News has not seen the tape and cannot confirm its authenticity.
An Ontario Superior Court judge ordered the release of a document relating to the drug arrest of Lisi, a friend of the mayor’s, on Wednesday.
The court heard that the Etobicoke man was not the main target of a large scale police investigation that led to his arrest.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say Mr. Lisi was the target of this investigation,” said Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer.
READ MORE: Mayor Ford should step aside if under police investigation: Councillor Carroll
The decision to release the nearly 500-page document had followed an application by media lawyers who argued it contains information that is in the public interest.
Informations to obtain (ITOs) are affidavits police file to justify a search warrant from a judge.
“The public’s got a right to look at all the material that has been filed in the ITO,” media lawyer Peter Jacobsen said outside of a Toronto courtroom Wednesday. “The public has a right to comment on the nature of the ITO and perhaps why it was so inclusive.”
Lisi – who Ford has described as a friend and a “good guy” – was arrested on Oct. 1 and charged with four drug offences, including trafficking marijuana.
Just last week, a character reference letter written by Mayor Ford was released to the public in which he referred to Lisi as a “courteous and polite” man.
The letter was first referenced during a June 14 sentencing after Lisi was convicted of threatening to kill a woman, according to a report in The Star. Lisi is appealing the conviction.
Meanwhile, Mayor Ford has repeatedly dodged questions from the media regarding his reference letter to Lisi.
Ford had said he “writes lots of letters” for “a lot of people.”
-with files from The Canadian Press
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