Tories on alleged influence peddling at Montreal port: 'The file is over'

[CHIMO]

The opposition laid out allegations of corruption and influence peddling by Conservative officials in relation to the nomination of a new president at the Montreal Port Authority, but the Harper government retorted “the file is over.”

Feeding off the launch of an RCMP investigation into the 2007 nomination, the NDP and Liberal Party said in Question Period Tuesday that senior members of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s entourage were “up to their necks” in political interference.

Conservative Transport Minister Denis Lebel replied that there is no controversy, given the board of directors at the port did not select the candidate favoured by Conservative officials and senior members of Quebec’s construction industry.

In 2008, Mr. Harper faced opposition allegations that Mr. Housakos and Mr. Soudas both intervened – in apparently uncoordinated efforts – in favour of a Montreal real-estate firm that was involved in legal battles with Ottawa. Mr. Harper appointed Mr. Housakos to the Senate later that year.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-on-alleged-influence-peddling-at-montreal-port-the-file-is-over/article2262325/



RCMP, SQ investigating allegations of influence peddling at Port of Montreal: reports


The RCMP and Sureté du Québec have launched separate investigations into allegations of influence peddling at the Port of Montreal, according to media reports.

The allegations made a splash during last spring’s federal election campaign after telephone recordings of an alleged backroom conversation about the choice of a new port president showed up on YouTube.

The conversation was alleged to have taken place in 2007 between businessmen Tony Accurso and Bernard Poulin.

The RCMP is probing allegations that the businessmen used contacts all the way up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office to try to place Robert Abdallah, a former director of the city of Montreal, in the key job, Radio-Canada and the Globe and Mail reported.


http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/RCMP+investigating+allegations+influence+peddling+Port+Montreal+reports/5815123/story.html

And we thought that Mulroney was gone!