Sex abuse case: Judge orders seizure of homes belonging to billionaire Robert Miller [Video]

A Quebec Superior Court judge has ordered the pretrial seizure of two Montreal-area houses belonging to billionaire Robert Miller, at the request of four women who have filed civil lawsuits alleging he sexually abused them as minors.

Justice Serge Gaudet on Friday authorized the request for a seizure before judgment of the two properties in Westmount, saying the plaintiffs have reason to fear that the 81-year-old founder of Future Electronics may try to hide assets.

“It is troubling to note that Miller, a billionaire, has no bank account in his name,” the judge said, according to detailed minutes from the court hearing. He also noted the “persistent and significant use” of other names to conceal Miller’s assets.

In a sworn statement, the plaintiffs allege that the two houses, valued at over $2 million each, were listed for many years under numbered companies that named lawyers as administrators. “Since at least …