North Bay police conclude investigation involving Sudbury police board, councillor

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North Bay police have concluded there are insufficient grounds to proceed with criminal charges in an investigation into a threats complaint involving a Sudbury member of council.

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Greater Sudbury police received a threats complaint Jan. 25 from a Sudbury city councillor in relation to a Greater Sudbury Police Services board member.

At the time, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure objectivity, the Greater Sudbury police engaged the North Bay police to investigate the allegations.

While he didn’t mention names or details in a statement released Saturday, Michael Vagnini had been accused by Coun. Bill Leduc of threatening him following a council meeting earlier this year.

According to Vagnini, it has been determined there was no merit to Leduc’s allegations.

“I have been cleared of the criminal act that I was recently accused of,” Vagnini said in the statement. “I would like to thank the people of Greater Sudbury for your interest and concern. Those are, and will remain, very valuable to me.

“I have an adviser who often repeats, do the right things, and good things will follow. I did the right thing and found the good things to be your unwavering faith and support from across the city, especially Ward 2, to be very humbling and one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as a councillor.”

This particular conflict between Vagnini and Leduc stems from calls made by the Ward 11 councillor to Erin Vagnini in September 2020, when her father was ill and on leave from council.

Erin signed a sworn statement in January in which she indicated Leduc called her twice in September 2020. She said during both instances, the councillor’s behaviour was worrying and inappropriate.

During the first call, Erin said Leduc accused her father of being unfit to sit as a councillor. During the second call, Erin said Leduc implied her father was using drugs and he suggested Vagnini should be removed from council.

Following a third interaction between his daughter and his colleague, which took place in his home, Vagnini felt compelled to call Leduc. Neither Erin nor Vagnini has elaborated on what took place, but she said the interaction left her feeling uncomfortable.

Vagnini had vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He said he was simply acting as any doting father would.

“I took it upon myself to call Coun. Leduc and I said ‘I don’t want you around my daughters; I don’t want you to talk to my daughters; and I want you to stay away from them completely or I will take it further and bring it to court’,” Vagnini said. “I told him to stay away from my family, like any father would do with his children.”

Tom Price, an adviser to Vagnini, said he witnessed the call and corroborated what Vagnini said. According to Price, Vagnini “told Coun. Leduc that if he went near Michael’s daughters again or contacted them in any manner, he would take legal action against him. The threat was legal action.”

Vagnini was removed from the Greater Sudbury Police Board due to the police investigation.

He also hired Toronto-based lawyer Michael Lacy to represent him and at a council meeting earlier this month, refrained from voting on any motions. Vagnini said earlier this month that given the ambiguity of his legal situation, he is erring on the side of caution and remaining quiet during meetings.

He said his legal team advised him to attend council meetings, but not to say anything during public sessions. He said this is a temporary measure and that looks forward to resuming full participation once the police investigation was completed.

Every time a councillor abstains from a vote, the abstention is recorded as a no vote.

With files from the Sudbury Star