Calgary councillor seeking re-election under fire for past allegations, police respond

CALGARY -

A Calgary city councillor, seeking re-election, is facing some harsh criticism over his behaviour when he was a police officer, many years before taking the oath of office.

Sean Chu, running in Ward 4, was found guilty of "discreditable conduct" for an incident involving a teenage girl in 1997, according to documents from the Law Enforcement Review Board.

The girl accused him of sexual assault after an alleged incident that occurred at his home.

Chu was not criminally charged following a police investigation.

However, following an internal investigation, requested by the girl, Chu was found guilty of misconduct by his own organization.

CTV News reached out to Chu for comment, but he did not respond.

His campaign did post an online message saying the "allegations misrepresent the truth."

"The timing of the release – literally decades after both matters were resolved – is motivated by politics and not by justice," the statement said.

Calgary police said when the matter came to light in 1997 it was taken seriously and managed in accordance with the Police Act. 

"This has been a complex legal matter with multiple complaints and investigations related to different aspects of this matter which were appealed to the Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board," police said in a Monday statement.

"One of those decisions was overturned by the Alberta Court of Appeal. Ultimately, one allegation of misconduct was sustained through our internal disciplinary process."

Despite his explanation of the events that took place, many people, including Calgary's outgoing mayor, are disappointed with Chu's past conduct.

"I can't even imagine the pain this is bringing up for the victim all these years later or what it is doing to so many others in our community," Naheed Nenshi wrote on Twitter.

"I'm so sorry. But Sean Chu should have come clean many years ago. And to blame politics for timing now rather than expressing remorse?"

Chu's campaign team says he will be continuing his fight for Ward 4.