Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire Frank Stronach has been arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse, police said.
The 91-year-old was charged on Friday with five crimes, including rape, indecent assault on a female, sexual assault and forcible confinement, Peel Regional Police said. He was released on conditions and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, Ont., at a later date, the police statement said.
Peel Regional Police Constable Tyler Bell said there is more than one accuser, but declined to say how many.
“Obviously this is a high-profile case. Our Special Victims Unit has an obligation to protect the victims and that’s why we’re being vague,” Bell said. “There is more than one victim, but we do not want to confirm that number yet.”
Police allege the assaults took place from the 1980s until 2023. Bell said they are calling on people to come forward if they have any information or have been victims.
Stronach did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He has hired prominent Canadian lawyer Brian Greenspan.
“Mr. Stronach categorically denies the allegations of impropriety leveled against him,” Greenspan said in an email. “He looks forward to the opportunity to fully respond to the allegations and continue his legacy as a philanthropist and an icon of Canadian business.”
Born in Austria, Stronach became one of Canada’s richest people by founding Magna in his garage in 1957 and building it into one of the world’s largest suppliers of auto parts.
He also founded The Stronach Group, a company specialized in horse racing. More than a decade ago, he made a brief foray into Austrian politics and was appointed a member of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors.
A Magna spokesman said Stronach has had no ties to the company since relinquishing control in 2010.
“We were recently made aware of the charges against Frank Stronach,” Dave Niemiec said in an email Friday evening. “Magna has no knowledge of the investigation or the allegations made beyond what has been reported in the media.”
Niemiec said the company would not comment further on the ongoing legal matter.
In 2018, Stronach sued his daughter, two grandchildren and former business partner Alon Ossip for more than $500 million in Ontario Superior Court, alleging they mismanaged the family’s assets, which he wanted to take back control of.
Belinda Stronach, a former Canadian MP, has contradicted her father, saying in a defense statement that he lost large sums of money on beloved projects.
The case was later settled.
