The owner of an Ottawa massage clinic shouldn’t have her business licence suspended on the basis of an unproven criminal charge, her lawyer said yesterday.
The city’s licence committee is looking at the chief licence inspector’s recommendation to suspend the business licence for Angel’s Touch Massage Clinic on Bentley Avenue, pending criminal code charges of keeping a common bawdy-house.
But attorney Rodney Sellar, who is representing owner Angela Davis, told the committee yesterday that because his client has not been convicted, the suspension should not occur, as it would affect her livelihood. Police have also not provided any evidence to back up the allegation, he said.
“It’s a poor reason to suspend someone’s employment,” said Sellar. “We have the presumption of innocence.”
While Davis “has full intention of proceeding to the trial,” she has been in business for 10 years with no problems and denies the charges, Sellar said. Sellar told the committee he has advertisements for the business, website ads and Yellow Pages listings for the business, proving its legitimacy.
The committee voted to adjourn the matter until the next meeting on Feb. 6.
