Vancouver cop who runs Surrey foundation for kids denies all fraud & theft ‘allegations'

Kal Dosanjh was charged with fraud & theft over $5,000 and breach of trust by a public officer. (Kal_Dosanjh/ Instagram) Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Vancouver cop and founder and CEO of Surrey-based KidsPlay Foundation who's now facing fraud and theft charges denies all the 'allegations' against him. Kal Dosanjh has been with Vancouver Police Department for over 25 years and has served in many roles, including as a senior detective in the financial crimes unit. Charges against Dosanjh were laid on Sept. 3 and the Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) chief constable announced more details the following day. In a statement through his lawyer, Dosanjh said, 'I deny the allegations against me and I look forward to defending myself fully in court. I have complete confidence in my legal counsel and in the Canadian justice system, and I will allow the evidence and the facts to speak for themselves.' 'I have dedicated more than 26 years of my life to serving this community. That work remains deeply important to me, and I intend to continue supporting the community I have served for so many years,' Dosanjh said. He has been charged with multiple counts of fraud, theft, and breach of trust following a comprehensive two-and-a-half-year covert investigation that found 19 victims had lost a total of $3 million. The majority of the victims are members of the community and investors of Dosanjh and his co-accused, Sarabjit Singh Gill, police said. Both men are Surrey residents. Police said Gill and Dosanjh were business associates at the time of the alleged offences and that the majority of charges relate to 'housing developments.' Gill is charged alongside Dosanjh with the January 2017 offences for three counts of fraud and three counts of theft over $5,000. Police also executed search warrants Thursday, Sept. 3 at the charity in Surrey that Dosanjh started, KidsPlay Foundation. Police confirmed that some of the charges relate to KidsPlay but would not expand further. Dosanjh founded KidsPlay in 2015, after spending 15 years of his career on patrol in the Downtown Eastside. During that time, he saw many kids from underprivileged backgrounds who were not afforded the same opportunities as kids elsewhere in the city. Dosanjh wanted this to change and to be a part of that change, so he started running organized sports programs under the police athletic league after work for inner-city kids. A Surrey resident, Dosanjh wanted to bring what he started in Vancouver to Surrey. With that, KidsPlay was born as a vehicle to help keep kids away from the lifestyle of drugs, gangs and violence. Dosanjh's lawyer, Joven Narwal, raised questions about the integrity of the police investigation when it was done by his own employer, the Vancouver Police Department. 'That raises legitimate concerns about investigative independence, objectivity and the safeguards used when a police department investigates one of its own members, particularly in a case the department itself has framed as a matter of public trust,' Narwal said. ''This matter now moves into an open and independent court process where the evidence, the allegations and the conduct of the investigation can be properly tested.' Reporters asked VPD Chief Steve Rai if there was a conflict of interest in the VPD conducting the investigation. Rai said an investigation this large and complex takes 'a lot of resources and expertise,' and in B.C. that is either the VPD or the RCMP. 'We had discussions with the RCMP and with you know what's going on in the region with transition bodies and resources. It was determined with collective judgment that we would maintain the file for the expertise required and the resources,' Rai said. Dosanjh was arrested in a 'controlled traffic stop' in Surrey Sept. 3 and later appeared at the Justice Centre at 5 p.m. He was released from custody on several conditions, which include that he is no longer allowed to 'act as a police officer and has no authority or powers of a police officer.' Police also took his service weapon. His next court appearance is at Vancouver Provincial Court on Sept. 17 to fix a date. READ MORE: $3M loss for 19 victims in fraud case against Surrey/Vancouver cop, police allege READ MORE: Fraud, theft charges for Vancouver cop who runs Surrey foundation for kids READ MORE: Sandy Dosanjh 'removed' as Surrey city council candidate after husband charged