SNC-Lavalin executives involved in an illegal political slush fund for Quebec provincial parties may have conducted the same practice at the federal level, 麻豆传媒 has learned.
Elections Canada records reveal that 10 top SNC-Lavalin managers and their wives wrote personal cheques in 2009 to two federal Conservative riding associations that showed little chance of winning.
A total of $25,000 was funnelled to the ridings of Laurier-Sainte-Marie and Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier.
Approximately $30,000 was then transferred out to Megantic-L鈥橢rable, the riding of then-public works minister Christian Paradis, CTV鈥檚 Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported Friday night.
Paradis, now minister of international development, was Prime Minister Stephen Harper鈥檚 Quebec lieutenant in charge of political patronage at the time.
Under the Canada Elections Act, corporations are prohibited from making political donations.
NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice suggested the records reveal a 鈥渟cheme.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a clear-cut case of breaking the rules,鈥� Boulerice said.
In a statement on Friday, the Conservative Party said: 鈥淣either Minister Paradis nor his riding association had any reason to believe these donations were anything other than the lawful, individual donations they were. It appears SNC deliberately concealed the alleged wrongdoing from the targets of their actions, including from Minister Paradis.鈥�
Elections Canada records also show SNC-Lavalin managers also made donations worth $14,000 to the federal Liberal riding of Chambly Broduas.
麻豆传媒 asked SNC-Lavalin if the company had reimbursed the executives for their federal donations. SNC did not respond by deadline.
A top SNC-Lavalin executive has previously admitted to Quebec鈥檚 corruption inquiry, the Charbonneau Commission, that the company illegally donated more than $1 million to Quebec provincial parties.
Managers made personal donations and were reimbursed with salary bonuses.
The NDP told 麻豆传媒 it will ask the Elections Canada commissioner to investigate whether federal election laws were broken.
With a report by CTV鈥檚 Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife
