Mayor Rob Ford has an “open-ended” invitation to speak with police investigating the activities of a close personal friend of his, a detective leading the investigation tells CP24.
Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux made the comment to CP24 Friday afternoon amid a growing controversy over Ford’s relationship with Alexander “Sandro” Lisi.
Lisi was arrested Thursday and charged with extortion following an exhaustive investigation, which began two days after the Toronto Star and U.S. website Gawker first reported that they had been approached by two men who wanted to sell a cellphone video of the mayor appearing to smoke from a glass pipe.
The extortion charge against Lisi was laid in connection with that video.
“I'm going to continue follow up,” Giroux said of attempts to interview Ford. “It’s open-ended.”
Giroux said he reached out to Ford’s chief of staff Earl Provost a few days ago about bringing the mayor in for an interview, but so far has not received a “definitive answer.”
Giroux noted that there is plenty of time for the mayor to speak with police as the investigation is ongoing.
“It’s an evolution,” he told CP24.
The video, allegedly recorded at a Windsor Road home identified by police as a known “crack house,” has not been seen by the public and Ford has denied its existence.
Police Chief Bill Blair, however, told reporters on Thursday that police recovered a video matching the one described by Gawker and the Star during Project Traveller raids on June 13.
Ford is under no legal obligation to speak with police, according to Giroux.
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