Robert Miller

Court puts liens on Westmount homes of Robert Miller

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Two houses in Westmount belonging to Robert Miller, one of which is said to be the billionaire’s own residence, have been seized by Quebec Superior Court.

Legal liens were placed on the houses by order of Justice Serge Gaudet. The step is being taken as part of civil lawsuits for four women who allege that when they were underage Miller recruited and paid them for sex.

Several such allegations against Miller began to surface starting in February of last year. When the allegations came out in the media, Miller stepped down as head of Future Electronics, citing health concerns. Last month his defence lawyer claimed Miller was bedridden.

The original allegations against Miller were actually being investigated as far back as 2009, with cases alleged to have taken place going back to 1992 with girls as young as 14. No criminal charges were filed.

The move to place the liens on Miller’s homes is not the usual procedure, as the lawsuits before the courts are actually pending. But the plaintiff’s lawyers, worried that the homes could be unloaded before the cases proceed, asked for the court to take this step. Justice Gaudet agreed.It is said that Miller apparently has no bank accounts in his name, but that there may be others endeavouring to “hide assets in Miller’s name,” which Gaudet says is “troubling.” Also, in a class-action lawsuit last year there was a request to freeze Miller’s assets, or that he be ordered to deposit $200 million in the event that the court ruled in favour of the complainants. The judge in that case, Justice Eleni Yiannakis, denied the request.

The lawsuits also names former Future Electronics executive Sam Abrams who, it is alleged, managed bank accounts for Miller for years. It refers to “the Miller network,” organized to recruit “underage girls in order to satisfy the sexual urges of Robert Miller,” with the help of individuals within the company. In an earlier lawsuit Abrams was referred as “the Matchmaker.” The current suit names him as Miller’s “right hand man.”

One of the houses ordered seized has been valued at more than $2.3 million, and the other at more than $2.1 million. One is owned by a numbered company. The other by Robert Gerald Miller Holdings Inc. Both of the homes are located on Olivier Ave. in Westmount.

Earlier this year Future Electonics was sold to a Taiwan-based company for $3.8 billion U.S. Miller is now considered to be one of the two wealthiest people in Quebec. The 81-year-old was arrested earlier this year. He faces a host of charges, including sexual assault, procuring, sexual exploitation, sexual interference and sexual intercourse with a minor, involving ten victims. n

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Pointe Claire businessman denied stay on sex charges

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Pointe-Claire billionaire businessman Robert Miller’s request to stay the charges related to sexual crime allegations made by 10 women and girls against him was denied by a Quebec Superior Court judge.

Miller’s lawyers argued that moving forward with the judicial process violates his rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to defend himself stating that he is incapable of doing so given his state of health. Now 80 years old, Miller reportedly suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is bedridden with round the clock medical care. “The applicant is not capable of participating in a criminal trial, as this would cause significant harm to his health. He is not and will never be able to defend himself,” his legal representation stated.

Justice François Dadour ruled that the current procedural steps do not require Miller to appear in person, nor to oppose the charges while it was acknowledged that the Miller case will be long and complex due to the number of complainants and the time lapses attached to some of the allegations made against him. “In an unqualified future, Mr. Miller’s condition may raise some specifically urgent issues or interfere with his fair trial rights in ways that could bring the Superior Court to then intervene by virtue of its fundamental role and inherent power to enforce individual rights.”

Miller is facing twenty-one charges, including sexual assault, obtaining sexual services for consideration and several counts of sexual exploitation of minors. n

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