Police investigators digging into allegations against Toronto councillor Parthi Kandavel have recently reached out to developers at a third property, the Star has learned.
While the Ontario Provincial Police has declined to say how many people its officers have contacted as part of their investigation, the Star had previously reported that officers sought information about at least two properties, both in the first-term councillor’s Scarborough Southwest ward. One of them is a development on Kennedy Road linked to the complaint that appears to have prompted the investigation into Kandavel.
The inquiry to developers at the third property was made in mid-May, after the police probe was made public, according to a source with knowledge of the request. The Star agreed to grant the source anonymity to allow them to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.
Payments to third parties discussed, sources allege
As the police investigation continues, two individuals connected to a pair of developments in Kandavel’s ward have separately told the Star that the councillor allegedly asked them to arrange six-figure payments to third parties. These requests were made while the developments were making their way through the city approval process, the two individuals alleged.
The two sources, who requested anonymity out of concern for potential impacts on development projects, said they believed the requests were outside the city’s official community benefits regime, under which developers help fund facilities and services in neighbourhoods near their projects. They both alleged that Kandavel made the requests in private settings, with no city officials or staff present.
While they said the councillor never threatened to hold up the projects if the payments weren’t made, both sources inferred that if the money wasn’t provided their developments could be delayed.
Kandavel has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and when presented with the specific allegations made by both sources, he did so again.
News of the OPP’s investigation has emerged as city hall ramps up towards a fall election. Kandavel, elected to office in a November 2023 byelection with about 27 per cent of the vote, has said he plans to run again this Oct. 26, though he had not officially signed up as of Friday afternoon. Nominations are open until Aug. 21.
Councillor confident police will clear him
In a statement to the Star, Kandavel said he was “confident in the OPP’s ability to undertake a thorough and fair investigation,” and he believed the probe would conclude he had done nothing wrong.
The councillor reiterated his account that he first learned about the investigation when the OPP contacted him about it on May 8. Two days later he released a statement on social media confirming he was being investigated.
In that May 10 post, he said he had “strived to maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity and will address any allegations that suggest otherwise.”
Kandavel did not answer a question from the Star about whether he has been interviewed as part of the police investigation.
As previously reported, the police investigation into Kandavel appears to have been prompted by a complaint to Toronto’s integrity commissioner filed on July 8, 2025, by a representative of the owners of a development at 708-712 Kennedy Road.
Two weeks later, the commissioner referred the complaint to the Toronto Police Service, which handed it to the OPP to avoid a potential conflict of interest. City councillors vote on the TPS budget and sit on its oversight board.
OPP financial crimes squad on the case
The integrity commissioner and a lawyer representing the Kennedy development owners have not provided details of the complaint. The watchdog is obligated to refer a case to authorities if they determine there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the law has been broken.
The police have also declined to provide details of the allegations.
The investigation into the councillor is being led by the OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch — a team the OPP described as investigating allegations of “complex financial crimes, including large-scale fraud, cyber-enabled fraud and corruption.” The team can also support other police services with “complex or sensitive investigations,” the OPP said.
Kandavel has continued to attend local events and participate in city business, including a council meeting last week where decisions about developments in his ward were on the agenda.
They included a rezoning request to permit a 33-storey tower on Danforth Avenue in Scarborough Southwest. Staff initially recommended council approve the development, but at Scarborough Community Council last month Kandavel successfully moved a motion to send the application to council without recommendation. He said at the April meeting he was seeking “clarity” and “improvement” on details like parkland.
Kandavel at council amid probe
At council on Wednesday, Coun. Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park), chair of Toronto’s housing committee, moved to reinstate and approve the staff recommendations. His motion passed by a show of hands, with Kandavel voting in favour.
Kandavel told the Star that after learning of the investigation, “out of an abundance of caution” he consulted the integrity commissioner about whether he should take part in decisions related to development applications in his ward. He said the watchdog advised that “I may continue to participate in all city business except where the specific allegations against me create a conflict of interest.”
He said he voted for the staff recommendations on the Danforth property after working with staff to ensure the city and developer would explore affordable housing units on the site.
Asked about what he knew about the scope of allegations against him and how many projects he might have to recuse himself from discussing, Kandavel said he was aware of allegations related to the development at 708 – 712 Kennedy Road, and as a result, intended to “avoid participating” in any future decisions related to that address.
Asked ahead of the meeting whether the city had any concerns about Kandavel participating, city spokesperson Imane Boussaid said in a statement there is nothing in the Municipal Elections Act or City of Toronto Act “precluding the councillor from serving during the investigation.”
A local councillor can have significant influence over developments in their ward. While they’re only one vote on council, they play a lead role in speaking with city staff and residents about proposed projects, and can bring forward any concerns constituents may have during the approval process. Generally, councillors outside the ward where a development is taking place defer to the opinion of the local member.
That opinion, along with any recommendations from city staff, can dictate whether a project quickly gets a green light to proceed, or is bogged down in the approval process.
Delays can be costly for developers, increasing the time they need to manage carrying costs like loans before they can generate revenue from renting or selling space in the new building, and potentially adding new bills for design revisions or studies requested by municipal officials.
