Mayor Rob Ford has no plans to speak with police despite requests for him to do so, Coun. Doug Ford tells CP24.
Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux has previously told reporters that he has made a request to speak with Ford concerning an investigation into the activities of a close personal friend of his, but on Monday afternoon, Doug Ford confirmed that his brother has turned down that request.
“Det. Giroux is a phenomenal detective, we have the utmost respect for him, but our lawyers are saying right now that there is no reason to speak with the police,” Doug Ford told host Stephen LeDrew during a one-on-one interview.
Ford has been under fire since Police Chief Bill Blair announced on Thursday that police have recovered a video that is reported to show the mayor smoking from a glass pipe.
The announcement came in the wake of police charging Alexander “Sandro” Lisi with extortion for alleged efforts to recover that video.
Speaking with CP24 Monday afternoon, Doug Ford took issue with Blair for saying that as a citizen he was “disappointed” with the mayor.
“Rob and I are loyal to the police and we support the police. That said do we differentiate between the front-line folks and maybe the leadership? Absolutely. Do I think it is appropriate what the chief said the other day? No I don’t,” Ford said. “It is not appropriate to sit there in your police chief uniform and talk as a citizen.”
Ford says racism a factor in scandal
The scandal currently surrounding the mayor began in May when the Toronto Star and Gawker reported that they had been approached by men looking to sell a video of the mayor reportedly smoking from a glass pipe.
At the time, both media outlets published a picture of Ford alongside three men – two of whom are accused criminals and another who wound up murdered -- which had been provided to them. Further investigation revealed that the photo was taken outside a known drug house.
On Monday, when asked about that particular photo, Doug Ford said to CP24 the controversy surrounding the photo is an example of latent racism.
“Are you saying they (the men in the photo) are ‘unsavoury’ because they have a gang sign and they are black? If these were two white kids with a preppy little suit on and a gang sign (people would react differently),” he said. “If those young men weren’t black, a lot of people wouldn’t be asking that question. It is very simple. Rob has taken tens of thousands of pictures. There is no person in Canada that has more pictures taken than Rob Ford.”
Pressed on why his brother was posing for a photo outside a known drug house, Doug Ford said he couldn’t answer that.
“I can’t answer for Rob and I can’t answer for the picture, the timing and where it was,” he said.
Throughout the controversy over the alleged video and Ford’s relationship with Lisi, both Doug and Rob have repeatedly criticized the media for the way they have handled the story.
Outside of a handful of radio interviews, Rob Ford has refused to speak with any reporters since Blair’s bombshell announcement on Thursday despite inviting media on Sunday to call him and arrange a sit-down with him.
CP24 has reached out to Ford’s office for an interview on numerous occasions, but has not received a reply to date.
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