Two police officers from the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit, including the number two in the organization, were assigned to administrative tasks in the wake of the abortion of the trial of the former mayor of Terrebonne Jean-Marc Robitaille.
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This rebound, the most recent in a series of setbacks for UPAC, concerns the commissioner associated with investigations Sylvain Baillargeon, who is neither more nor less than the number two of this organization.
Mr. Baillargeon was thus withdrawn indefinitely from all investigation files. One of his subordinates, who was on loan to UPAC, Officer Janik Lacoursière, was referred to the Sûreté du Québec where he will also perform administrative tasks.
These two investigators had been severely blamed, on October 18, by Judge Nancy McKenna for having notably withheld information on an important Crown witness during legal proceedings against Mr. Robitaille.
As a result, it ordered a stay of proceedings against the former mayor and his three alleged accomplices, who were accused of having received bribes from contractors who did business with the City.
The commissioner thinks
” Commissioner [Frédérick Gaudreau, patron de l’UPAC] takes the court’s judgment very seriously. He is considering what to do next to ensure the integrity of the whistleblower handling process, ”said Mathieu Galarneau, spokesperson for UPAC yesterday.
It was the deputy for Chomedey, Guy Ouellette, who revealed the measures taken against the two UPAC police officers yesterday morning at the National Assembly.
He asked the Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged actions of the two police officers, which the latter did not undertake to do.
–With Jean-François Cloutier
What the judge their reproach
SYLVAIN BAILLARGEON
- “Evasive and contradictory answers” in his testimony.
- Would have been involved in concrete steps to mitigate the value of a report (on an important witness of the Crown).
- Its credibility “is irreparably tarnished”.
JANIK LACOURSIÈRE
- Testimony characterized by a lack of transparency, riddled with inconsistencies.
- Denied being aware of any information, before being contradicted by a handwritten note.