This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.Two companies have agreed to pay almost $450,000 in fines after admitting they made illegal political donations to both the federal Liberals and Conservatives between 2004 and 2009.
Both Montreal-based companies agreed to pay penalties equal to three times the donations and a portion of the investigative costs for the commissioner, who enforces national electoral laws. In a statement Thursday, commissioner Yves Cote said this is the first time his office has used its new power to levy monetary fines on top of getting the donations returned.The new powers are the result of changes made to Canada’s electoral laws in 2018 and have applied since April.
The commissioner also said there was no evidence the two political parties knew the donations were illegal. The Liberals and Conservatives have returned all the money. Charges were eventually laid against just one SNC-Lavalin executive. The commissioner justified a compliance agreement by saying the executives involved in the scheme were no longer at the company, it had adopted new procedures, and had co-operated with the investigation.
The commissioner, in a rare move, issued a public statement saying no politicians, staffers or public servants had tried to “influence or interfere” in any decisions in which they were not the subject.
globepolitics That's our Quebec!
globepolitics Good old corrupt Quebec...