An out-of-court resolution has been reached in a legal fight between former 性视界传媒 city councillor Jack Hundial and 性视界传媒-based developer Bob Cheema, who played a key role in Doug McCallum鈥檚 mayoral election campaigns in recent years.
Filed in October 2019, Cheema's lawsuit focused on comments made by Hundial at a Sept. 16, 2019 council meeting in which he asked questions about Cheema鈥檚 apparent attendance at a Nov. 2, 2018 meeting between then-mayor McCallum and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.
Hundial, who served on the city council from 2018 to 2022, has now issued an apology to Cheema, according to an email sent to media by Cheema on Tuesday (Nov. 19). Hundial also "admits to false statements and pays damages to Bob Cheema," the email reads.
Online court records show the case was set to go to trial starting Dec. 2, but Cheema says that date has now been cancelled.
The Now-Leader has reached out to Hundial and his lawyer, Scott Nicoll, for comment and confirmation.
Emailed as a PDF by Cheema, Hundial's signed apology is dated Nov. 18, 2024.
"Beginning in September of 2019, I made several statements about Bob Cheema that were false," the apology reads. "As such, my statements represent a grave slur on his personal and professional integrity and have caused him and his family considerable distress and embarrassment.
"I now accept my error in publishing the statements and recognize the considerable damage they have done to Mr. Cheema," the statement continues.
"I unreservedly apologize to Mr. Cheema, and I fully withdraw and retract, without reservation, the prior statements I published about him. I have also agreed to pay Mr. Cheema a substantial sum by way of damages and in settlement of his legal costs."
In September 2019, Hundial had asked that city staff advise council at its next meeting in what capacity Cheema attended the meeting between McCallum and Farnworth, why he was present, and what advice he provided at the meeting. He also asked why the mayor鈥檚 personal friend, with no official status with the City of 性视界传媒, would meet with the solicitor general, noting the topic of the meeting was listed as traffic fine revenue-sharing.
In a Notice of Civil Claim filed Oct. 4, 2019, Cheema alleged Hundial鈥檚 assertions implied he was of 鈥渦nethical, dishonest and of disreputable character鈥� and denied being at the meeting in question.
鈥淧rior to tabling the Motion and publishing the Statement, Hundial failed to verify whether the plaintiff was present at the Meeting,鈥� Cheema's 2019 suit stated.
The day after Hundial raised the comments, Farnworth鈥檚 office told the Now-Leader via email that the minister 鈥渄id not meet with Bob Cheema.鈥�
鈥淢r. Cheema鈥檚 name was referenced in the calendar as he was the one who reached out to book the meeting during the interim period that Mr McCallum was Mayor-elect,鈥� the statement read.
At the time, McCallum also denied Cheema鈥檚 attendance, saying any suggestion he was is 鈥渃ategorically false鈥� and that Cheema 鈥渉as never been present at any meetings I鈥檝e had with the minister.鈥�
- with Now-Leader files
