Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire Frank Stronach was arrested Friday on suspicion of sexual assault spanning decades, police said Friday.
Peel Regional Police said Stronach, 91, was charged with five offences including rape, lewd acts with a woman, sexual assault and forcible confinement. Police said he was released on conditions and will 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.”
Stronach’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police allege the sexual assaults occurred between the 1980s and 2023.
Bell said he was urging anyone with information or who has been a victim to come forward.
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 that specializes 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, Frank filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court against his daughter, two grandchildren and former business partner Alon Osip, seeking more than $500 million in damages, alleging that they mismanaged and conspired to seize control of the family assets.
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.
