Seven high-ranking Quebec Liberals — including two former cabinet ministers — arrested: reports
The National Post
Postmedia News and Jason Magder, The Canadian Press | March 17, 2016 10:02 AM ET
Quebec’s anti-corruption squad has arrested seven high-ranking members of the provincial Liberal party, including two former cabinet ministers.
Among those arrested early Thursday is the former Liberal deputy premier of Quebec, Nathalie Normandeau, and former minister Marc-Yvan Côté, Bruno Lortie, Mario Martel, France Michaud, Ernest Murray and François Roussy.
A spokesperson for UPAC, the Unité permanente anticorruption, did not immediately confirm the arrests Thursday morning. But a news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.
Côté was also a vice-president at the Roche engineering firm, and at least two other former Roche employees were also arrested Thursday.
The reason for the arrest of Normandeau 47, are not yet known. UPAC had been investigating political financing of both the Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois. Earlier this week, UPAC laid 67 tax fraud charges against Roche Groupe and Pluritec, another engineering firm.
In June 2014 Normandeau appeared before the Charbonneau Commission. Her name had come up in previous testimony at the commission.
Among other things, the former Liberal MNA for Bonaventure is alleged to have used her ministerial powers to increase provincial subsidies on certain construction projects. Witnesses at the Charbonneau Commission also suggested she benefitted from illegal fundraising activities.
Normandeau is now a radio host in Quebec City.
Police alleged Côté and Lortie committed fraud, conspiracy, influence peddling and infractions to the electoral law, according to applications for search warrants unsealed in 2014. The documents allege Côté was able to wield significant influence within the office of Normandeau, when she was minister of municipal affairs. He and Lortie, Normandeau’s chief of staff, were close friends and considered themselves to be like family.
Police uncovered several emails in 2011 showing a system of false invoicing and illegal financing engaged by Roche, and that the company received privileged information, and was able to rig the tender process to its advantage.
In March 2008, a person, whose identity was redacted in the document, sent an email to Roche project manager Yves Gaillardetz, and Îles-de-la-Madeleine city councillor Jonathan Lapierre, saying that the call for tenders for a water filtration project would be put on hold until after the three of them could meet for Roche to get privileged information about the project.
In Quebec City, premier Philippe Couillard said the rules around political financing have changed in recent years, and that the Liberal Party he now leads is “exemplary” when it comes to political financing.
— more to come
