TORONTO (AP) — Austrian-Canadian auto parts tycoon Frank Stronach has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault spanning decades, police say.
Peel Regional Police said the 91-year-old man was charged Friday with five offences, including rape, indecent acts with a female, sexual assault and forcible confinement. A police statement said the man was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Ontario Provincial Court in Brampton, Ontario, at a later date.
Constable Tyler Bell with Peel Regional Police said there are multiple accused but would not say how many.
“Obviously, this is a high profile case, and our Special Victims Unit has a duty to protect victims, which is why they’re being ambivalent,” Bell said. “There is more than one victim, but we have yet to determine the number.”
Police allege the sexual assaults took place between the 1980s and 2023. Bell said they are appealing for anyone with information or who has been a victim to come forward.
Stronach did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He hired prominent Canadian lawyer Brian Greenspan.
“Mr. Stronach categorically denies the allegations of wrongdoing that have been made against him,” Greenspan said in an email. “He looks forward to the opportunity to respond fully to the allegations and to upholding his legacy as a philanthropist and Canadian business icon.”
The Austrian-born Stronach founded Magna in his garage in 1957 and built it into one of the world’s largest auto-parts suppliers, becoming one of Canada’s richest men.
He also founded the Stronach Group, a company specializing in horse racing. He had a brief stint in Austrian politics more than a decade ago and was made a member of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honours.
A Magna spokesman said Stronach had had no involvement with the company since giving up control in 2010.
“We only recently learned of the allegations against Frank Stronach,” Dave Niemiec said in an email Friday night. “Magna has no knowledge of the investigation or alleged allegations beyond what has been reported in the media.”
Niemiec said the company would not comment further on ongoing legal matters.
In 2018, Stronach filed suit in Ontario Superior Court against his daughter, two grandchildren, and former business partner Alon Osip, seeking more than $500 million in damages, alleging they mismanaged his family assets and seeking to regain control of them.
Former Canadian member of parliament Belinda Stronach has countersued her father, saying in a defense that he lost huge amounts of money on his pet project.
The case was later settled.
