'it was shocking' — criminal charge dropped against former windsor police chaplain
just months after being introduced to the community as ...
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hassan rkie is shown at the windsor police service's downtown headquarters on dec. 20, 2023, when he was introduced as the newest — and first-ever muslim — chaplain for the department. he lost that volunteer position months later after being criminally charge on a matter for which he's since been exonerated.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
just months after being introduced to the community as the windsor police service’s first-ever muslim chaplain, hassan rkie was criminally charged with bribery and turfed from his voluntary role. “it was shocking,” rkie, 48, told the star tuesday of that experience and the response from the community.
earlier this month, after the windsor crown’s office had declared a conflict in the case and the file was transferred to the crown prosecutor’s office in st. thomas, the criminal charge was withdrawn.
“i’ve always believed the truth will prevail — if you don’t get it right in this life, then in the hereafter,” rkie said in a phone interview. he said he’s “happy” now.
rkie was arrested in june by the same police force whose officers he had pledged to help, coach and guide in spiritual matters, and he was charged with “did intentionally attempt to dissuade a person … by bribes from giving evidence in a judiciary proceeding.”
rkie’s lawyer, robert dipietro jr., told the star this week that pre-trial discussions with the crown concluded the prosecution didn’t have a case. “unfortunately, when somebody makes an allegation, their word alone is enough for someone to be charged,” he said of the complaint against his client.
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a spokesperson for the windsor crown’s office referred the star’s questions on the matter to the province. in an email, a spokesperson for the ministry of the attorney general advised the star the accused person “completed a program of informal diversion and the charge was withdrawn upon its completion.”
asked for details, a follow-up email advised the ministry was “not able to provide you with details of the diversion.” the criminal charge was withdrawn nov. 8.
in ontario, certain offences, with the exception of the most serious crimes, can be referred to a community justice program for adults, with criminal charges withdrawn or stayed “upon an accused person’s completion of a comprehensive diversion program.”
dipietro said the police charge followed a “heated” phone conversation between rkie and a woman from a family with whom he was close. as an ordained minister, rkie regularly offers counselling, and the woman had sought his advice on getting a divorce.
according to dipietro, rkie offered the woman “purely spiritual advice” — the muslim faith offers an “amicable path” towards reconciliation or divorce and describes the civil rights of each party. outside of that, rkie said he couldn’t give legal advice and recommended the woman retain a lawyer, something that dipietro said led to the conversation “going sideways.”
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dipietro said the woman then went to police, complaining she had told rkie she was the victim of domestic violence. rkie claimed they’d only discussed divorce.
in the end, “there was no evidence beyond the word of the complainant,” said dipietro.
agreeing to diversion was “in no way an admission of guilt,” rkie’s lawyer said, adding the process that followed amounted to an “informal meeting” with someone in a similar position as counsellor who offered tips and advice on how best to avoid such types of situations in the future.
referring to the initial negative publicity at the time of the criminal charge being laid, dipietro said: “it’s important to understand the presumption of innocence … my client maintained his innocence throughout.”
rkie, fully exonerated and with no criminal record, said he chalks this up to “life experience — you take it and move on. i’m stronger and not bitter.”
rkie continues his volunteer work with the windsor islamic association and as a university of windsor chaplain.
“i’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the community, to give back to the community i live and where i grew up,” rkie told the star.
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