Hamilton area business owner fined $6,000 for use of a fabricated professional engineer's seal

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 5, 2016) - On November 22, Asif Siddiqui of Milton, Ontario, was convicted of breaching the Professional Engineers Act by the Ontario Court of Justice and fined $6,000 for use of a fabricated professional engineer's seal.

In March 2015, Siddiqui was undertaking renovations at a SUBWAY restaurant franchise, which he owned through a corporation. Siddiqui submitted a building permit application and a technical drawing bearing a fabricated professional engineer's seal to the Building Division at the City of Hamilton. A professional engineer with the Building Division identified the seal as a forgery and notified the affected professional engineer, who then notified Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO).

His Worship Justice of the Peace Jerry Woloschuk convicted Siddiqui of one offence relating to use of the seal. Despite readily apparent flaws with the seal, and the fact that the drawing did not come directly from the affected professional engineer, Siddiqui failed to exercise due diligence and take steps to verify the seal before submitting the drawing to the building department.

Nick Hambleton, associate counsel, regulatory compliance, represented PEO in this matter. PEO would like to thank the affected professional engineer and several persons involved with the renovations, as well as the Hamilton building department for their cooperation in the investigation.

About Professional Engineers Ontario

Under the authority of the Professional Engineers Act, PEO governs over 85,000 licence and certificate holders and regulates professional engineering in Ontario. PEO's mission is to regulate and advance the practice of engineering to protect the public interest. Its vision is to be the trusted leader in professional self-regulation. Professional engineering safeguards life, health, property, economic interests, the public welfare and the environment. Professional engineers can be identified by the P.Eng. after their names. Holders of limited licences can be identified by LEL or LET after their names.

How to verify licensure

To check whether an individual is licensed or a firm holds a Certificate of Authorization (C of A), search the directories of practitioners (licence and C of A holders) at www.peo.on.ca. To report unlicensed individuals and unauthorized companies, contact PEO's enforcement hotline at 416-840-1444 or 1-800-339-3716, ext. 1444, or email enforcement@peo.on.ca.