Political misconduct

November 13, 2012

Partnership Africa Canada has launched its new report “Reap What You Sow: Greed and Corruption in Zimbabwe’s Marange Diamond Fields”   on November 12 to coincide with the opening of an international diamond conference being held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Reap What You Sow is the third investigation by Partnership Africa Canada into illicit activity in Zimbabwe’s diamond sector. The report is divided into three main sections. The first looks at ongoing trade irregularities and the lack of transparency of diamond revenues, and examines ways ZANU and the global diamond industry have interacted, before, during and after the Kimberley Process imposed an embargo on Marange stones in 2009.

Les Perreaux and Rhéal Séguin – October 30, 2012

For the first time since the stench of corruption rose from Montreal city hall five years ago, damning testimony has put Mayor Gérald Tremblay in direct contact with illegal acts.

A former political organizer for Mr. Tremblay’s party says the mayor was one of three people in a 2004 meeting where a Union Montréal official showed the two sets of books the party was keeping – clean records designed to fall within spending limits and satisfy the chief electoral officer, and an unofficial cash-only accounting that had the party spending double the $46,000 campaign limit.

October 24, 2012

The scandal-plagued mayor of Quebec’s third-largest municipality is temporarily stepping away from his duties, citing health reasons. An official at the city of Laval says Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt will leave his duties for a period of rest and reflection, while considering what to do next.

He says the decision stems from advice from his doctor. He says Vaillancourt will have announcement soon on his future plans. Vaillancourt has had an iron grip on the city administration for 23 years, and faced almost no opposition over that time. He has a year left in his latest mandate.

The Canadian Press – October 30, 2012

The mayor of Montreal has been personally implicated in testimony at Quebec's public inquiry, with a witness suggesting that he was not only aware of illegal financing within his political party but was demonstrably indifferent to it.

The testimony's timing was politically devastating. While the inquiry was hearing claims of cost overruns, corruption and criminal threats in the awarding of public contracts, Mayor Gerald Tremblay was busy presenting a municipal budget Tuesday that slapped homeowners with a 3.3 per cent increase in property taxes.