A Burnaby Mountie who quit last month amid misconduct allegations spent more time on paid leave than working during his five-year RCMP career.
Former Const. Alessandro Sponza was scheduled to appear at a conduct hearing last week after being accused of five violations of the RCMP's code of conduct, including four allegations he behaved in a manner "likely to discredit the force" and one allegation he failed to "give and carry out lawful orders and direction," according to information posted on the RCMP website.
Before any evidence or details of the allegations could be presented at the hearing, however, Sponza quit.
Statements by his lawyer Brad Kielmann suggested the RCMP did not immediately accept Sponza's resignation.
On Oct. 8, however, Kevin Harrison, a conduct hearing officer appointed to hear the case, announced the RCMP had accepted Sponza's discharge request.
"Consequently, I now no longer have jurisdiction over this matter because Const. Sponza is no longer a member of the force," Harrison told the hearing at the Vancouver Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey.
Sponza's resignation was effective Sept. 27, according to B.C. RCMP media relations officer Staff Sgt. Kris Clark.
He said the RCMP accepted Sponza's discharge request after an adjournment "to allow for discussions to take place with all impacted parties."
The RCMP had been seeking Sponza's dismissal via the conduct hearing, according to Clark.
He said Sponza had been the subject of an internal code of conduct process that led to a suspension with pay on March 11, 2022.
Sponza joined the RCMP on Nov. 4, 2019, meaning he was a Mountie for less than five years and spent more than two-and-a-half years of that time on paid leave.
When asked whether Sponza had ever been suspended with pay for any other misconduct allegations, Clark said there was "no further information" he could provide and said the Burnaby NOW could file an access to information request.
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