Officer charged in Project South investigation trying to plead guilty since February
Speaking in court on Tuesday, Peter Brauti said Const. Elias Mouawad had asked to plead guilty immediately after he was charged.
A Toronto police officer, Const. Elias Mouawad, is seeking to plead guilty in connection with the Project South corruption investigation, according to his lawyer Peter Brauti. Mouawad was charged with unauthorized use of a computer and breach of public trust in February, although he initially intended to plead guilty to only the unauthorized access charge.
His attempts to plead guilty have been unsuccessful as the Crown has not been ready to accept a plea due to disclosure issues related to the size of Project South. The Crown's decision to delay the plea has caused Mouawad to postpone his sentencing and wait to see how the process unfolds. Brauti claims that his client has been unfairly portrayed as part of serious misconduct in Project South, when in reality he only made one unauthorized computer check unrelated to the allegations of drug dealing, corruption and attempted murder.
The court is set to adjourn for two weeks to determine the next steps in Mouawad's case, with a new hearing scheduled for September 16.
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