Quebec closes the investigation into its deputy minister Stéphane Le Bouyonnec, who declared The Press always have links with a high interest rate loan company. The Prime Minister’s Department is satisfied with a sworn declaration, in which it affirms to the government the opposite of what it had declared to The Press and to Finabanx shareholders.
“After analysis of the facts collected, it appears that he no longer holds any link or interest of any nature whatsoever in Finabanx, since the sale of all his shares in the company to a third party, on 1er October 2019, mentions a letter from the general secretary associated with senior employment, Brigitte Pelletier. The sales contracts submitted by Mr. Le Bouyonnec, as well as the sworn declaration he produced for this purpose, bear witness to this reality. »
In an interview, Stéphane Le Bouyonnec nevertheless affirmed the opposite, on November 28, explaining that he hoped for a future payment despite the transfer of his shares to the head of the company’s financial department.
“I simply gave up this whole thing for $1, and if there were ever future considerations, let’s put it like that, there would eventually be money coming back, well then I would have a return” , he said.
He added that he would like, “eventually”, to recover “the nominal value” of his investment, i.e. what he invested in Finabanx before “selling” his shares: $500,000.
“Various interpretations,” says Legault’s ministry
“The explanations that Mr. Le Bouyonnec gave to the journalist from The Pressas well as the content of certain emails that he exchanged with shareholders beyond 1er October 2019, can give rise to various interpretations and suggest that he still maintains links or financial interests in the Finabanx company, writes the associate general secretary. In this regard, Mr. Le Bouyonnec recognizes that his explanations would have required context in order to qualify certain elements reported in the media, hence his sworn declaration. »
The Press contacted the Ministry of Executive Council – which reports to François Legault – to find out how it interpreted the terms used by Stéphane Le Bouyonnec with the daily newspaper, namely “future considerations”, “return” and “nominal value”. The government did not respond.
“The verifications are completed,” simply declared Jessica Leblanc, spokesperson. Mr. Le Bouyonnec remains in post as Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology. »
In an email to a Finabanx shareholder in February 2021, Stéphane Le Bouyonnec explained that he had to “sell” his shares because of “ [s]a job”, but that its “risk remains at [sic] 100% for 500k [500 000 $] “.
– More details to come