TORONTO – Magna International Inc. says it has launched a targeted review of its historical records in response to sexual assault charges against founder Frank Stronach.
Magna spokeswoman Tracy Fuerst says the review process is complicated because of the passage of time.
Fuerst says that if relevant information is found, the company, which is not facing any criminal or civil allegations, will follow a strict protocol to respect the legal rights of all and co-operate with authorities.
To date, the auto parts company’s internal document review has discovered one settlement involving a historical harassment allegation against Stronach and Magna Entertainment Corp. that had already been reported.
He faces charges including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, forcible confinement and sexual assault in connection with alleged incidents that date as far back as 1977. Stronach has said he is not guilty and that he will fight the charges.
New court documents show Stronach is also facing more sexual assault charges involving three additional complainants whose allegations date back to the 1980s and 1990s.
The latest charges bring the total number of accusers in his case to 13.
The 92-year-old Stronach was first charged in early June with five sex-related offences involving three complainants, with more charges filed against him later that month as other complainants came forward.
Court documents filed in a Brampton, Ont., courthouse last week show that the billionaire businessman now stands accused of five additional offences, including sexual assault and indecent assault, for a total of 18 charges.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in Toronto and the hamlet of Gormley, Ont., north of the city.
Stronach has previously denied all allegations against him, claiming in a CBC interview that his accusers are motivated by money.
Stronach, who was born in Austria, became one of Canada’s wealthiest people by creating auto parts giant Magna in his garage in 1957.
He also founded The Stronach Group, a company that specializes in horse racing, and founded Stronach International in 2018, a company focusing on organic foods and “micro-electric mobility.”
Stronach gave up control of Magna in 2010 and stepped down as chairman in 2012 and founded his own political party in his native Austria the following year.
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