Ontario broker working under son’s name has license revoked

Ontario’s broker regulator has revoked the license of Brampton insurance broker Mustapha Kassab, who had been representing himself for close to six years under the assumed name of his son, “Hadi.”
The Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) made its decision after hearing two complaints against Kassab.
Kassab pleaded guilty to the first complaint, which is that he had been operating under the name of his son, Hadi, for close to six years.
The RIBO discipline committee heard evidence from a personal lines manager from Kassab’s previous brokerage that he had known “Hadi” — in fact, Mustapha — for more than six years.  
When a RIBO investigator approached Kassab to investigate the complaint, Kassab still answered to the name Hadi.
The broker’s use of an assumed name played a central role in the discipline committee’s finding that Kassab was guilty of the second complaint of misconduct.
On this second count, Kassab had asserted his innocence.
A law firm initiated the second complaint on behalf of their client, who had met with “Hadi” to discuss his insurance policy insuring two vehicles.
“Hadi” advised the client that he could get him a rate for the two vehicles for around $250 per month.
The client requested “full” coverage be placed on both vehicles as there was financing in place. After several revisions of the policy (the first two versions quoted a much higher premium than the client expected), the policy was established for close to $250 per month.
Several weeks later, one of the two vehicles was stolen. The client called the police, who asked if he had insured the vehicle for theft. He advised that it was, and the police told him to contact his insurance company.
At this point, the insurance company advised the client that he no longer had physical damage coverage on either of his two cars.
Kassab asserted the client had given him instructions to change the policy. The client vigorously denied this version of events.
“Ultimately the complaint was a case of one individual’s word versus another,” RIBO’s discipline committee found. “The committee found that the client’s testimony was, on a balance of probabilities, more credible, and since he was forthcoming about the cars being financed both to the police and to the panel and that he had previously had full coverage for his vehicles, the committee found it reasonable to believe that he asked for the same coverage to be placed by Mr. Kassab.
“Mr. Kassab’s credibility was clearly at an issue. He had spent close to six years under the assumed identity of his son Hadi Kassab. He carried [on] business under that name and when approached by RIBO investigators, still tried to convince them that he was in fact Hadi Kassab.
“As a result of the previous testimony and evidence, the panel found the client to be far more credible.”