Sheikh admits he should not have made call to Regina police board member

Former Regina police chief Farooq Sheikh admitted he should not have called a police board member connected to a major drug investigation to offer advice, as his cross‑examination wrapped up Thursday.

Thursday marked the fourth day of Sheikh’s appeal hearing into his October 2025 firing. The hearing has examined his personal and flirtatious messages with the board member, communications about his employment contract and his actions after the board member became connected to a Regina police investigation.

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A Feb. 26, 2025, call became a major focus as Mitchell Holash, lawyer for the Regina Board of Police Commissioners, questioned what Sheikh knew about the woman’s connection to the investigation and whether it was appropriate for the city’s police chief to offer her advice.

“Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have made that phone call, and I accept that,” Sheikh testified.

The woman, who cannot be identified because of a publication ban, was a member of the police board and someone Sheikh described as a friend.

During the recorded call, Sheikh told her Regina Police Service investigators might need to speak with her and advised her not to contact certain people.

Holash repeatedly questioned whether that advice aligned with professional investigative practices, particularly after Sheikh had previously described the woman as “heavily implicated” in the investigation.

Sheikh maintained there was an important distinction between what he knew on Feb. 26 and information he learned afterward.

He said he did not believe the woman was under surveillance at the time and maintained he did not intend to interfere with the investigation. Sheikh said he was speaking to someone he considered both a board member and a friend.

Holash suggested the woman received information and advice from the chief that another person connected to an RPS investigation would not have received.

Sheikh disagreed.

He also pointed out that he told the police board the following day that he had spoken with the woman and offered her advice.

Sheikh said that, looking back and knowing more about the circumstances now, he would have handled it differently.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said during questioning.

‘Messages exchanged and deleted’

Thursday’s cross‑examination also returned to Sheikh’s personal relationship with the complainant and how he characterized it during the investigation that ultimately led to his firing.

He previously said he believed the complainant may have been pursuing a relationship to gain leverage over him.

Asked Thursday whether he still believed she was the one pursuing him, Sheikh said he did.

But Sheikh acknowledged his view of his own participation has changed after seeing more of the messages during this week’s appeal hearing.

“Between June the 9th and this week, I’ve seen more messages that I sent too,” Sheikh said.

“I realized that, you know, I was reciprocating a lot more.”

The hearing heard that Sheikh and the complainant exchanged personal and flirtatious messages, including photographs.

Sheikh testified that the woman called him the following morning after they exchanged photographs, and he told her to delete them.

He said he also began deleting messages after reflecting on the exchanges overnight.

“I realized that they were inappropriate for both sides, including me,” Sheikh testified.

Sheikh testified earlier in the hearing that he was embarrassed by his participation in the conversations and did not want people to get the impression the pair were in a relationship.

During a December 2024 board meeting, commissioners asked Sheikh to leave while they discussed proposed changes to his contract.

Sheikh acknowledged he texted two board members during the discussion, including the complainant.

Holash walked Sheikh through the Regina Police Service’s stated values, including professionalism and accountability, and questioned whether his actions met the standard expected of the city’s police chief.

Asked whether he had been accountable to the board by keeping the communications from commissioners, Sheikh acknowledged he should have disclosed them.

“I should have been open and told them,” he said.

The appeal hearing is scheduled to resume Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 9:30 a.m., with the parties indicating they intend to finish the hearing that day.