Fraud trial for P.E.I. minister extended in Ontario court

The fraud trial of a P.E.I. Presbyterian minister in Ontario has been extended.

Harold Alan Stewart, 70, faces six charges in Ontario Superior Court in Oshawa.

His trial was scheduled for three weeks, ending on Friday, but has been extended because testimony is not complete.

Because the case is being heard by a jury, it cannot be adjourned and resumed at a later date.

An official with the courthouse in Oshawa told CBC the trial will continue for as long as is needed.

Stewart is charged with three counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of trafficking forged documents, one count of copying credit card data and one count of laundering the proceeds of crime.

The charges involve an 89-year-old woman who lost $160,000. Stewart and his co-accused are charged with befriending her and using her credit card without her knowledge.

He is being tried jointly with two co-accused.

Stewart was first charged in April 2016.

At the time, he was a Presbyterian minister with the Kensington-New London pastoral charge on P.E.I. However, his appointment there ended in October 2016, which the church said was unrelated to the criminal charges.

More P.E.I. News