Good Cop, Bad Cop, Dirty Cop, Releived Po Po? Fraud Charges Laid in Quebec

[Bernnie Federko]

Fraud in the upper echelon of power you say? Say it ain't so, bro's and brah's!

...
Richard Deschênes among 4 ex-Quebec police officers facing fraud charges
Richard Deschênes, Steven Chabot, Jean Audette, Alfred Tremblay allegedly created a secret retirment fund

Four former high-ranking members of the Quebec provincial police are facing fraud-related charges, Radio-Canada has learned.

The charges are in connection with the alleged misuse of public funds.

The four accused are:

Richard Deschênes: General director of the Sureté du Québec from 2008-2012, relieved of his functions after allegations against him emerged.
Steven Chabot: Associate director of criminal investigations until his retirement in 2010.
Jean Audette: Associate director of criminal investigations from 2010-2012, who replaced Chabot after his retirement, and was relieved of his duties after allegations against him emerged.
Alfred Tremblay: First public mention of his name in this affair.
The men allegedly used a $26-million police fund to create a secret retirement fund. The money was meant for extra costs related to police investigations, such as paying informants or covering the cost of drugs in undercover operations.

Chabot files lawsuit

Chabot`s lawyer, Jean-Claude Hébert, confirmed to Radio-Canada that Chabot has been accused of fraud, theft of $5,000 and abuse of confidence.

Chabot has maintained his innocence.

Former Quebec police officer 'devastated' by criminal probe
He responded to the allegations by filing a $1.5-million lawsuit against current SQ general director Mario Laprise.

Chabot says the accusations circulating in the media have destroyed his life.

Internal investigation launched under new leadership

The charges against all four men stem from an internal investigation launched in 2012, not long after the newly elected Parti Québécois government replaced the head of the Sûreté du Québec.

New SQ boss chosen to boost war on organized crime
Mario Laprise replaced Deschênes as general director in October 2012. Deschênes had been appointed by the former Liberal government in 2008.

After Laprise took command, a routine check of the books turned up money that wasn't accounted for, sparking the investigation.

The probe first came to light through media reports in December 2012. At the time, Tremblay was not named among the accused.

Richard Deschênes among 4 ex-Quebec police officers facing fraud charges - Montreal - CBC News

 

[videotronic]

It would be harder to find an industry in Quebec that isn't filled with rampant fraud than one that is

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

There's a reason why a lot of businesses never went back after the referendum in 95.

 

[Bernnie Federko]

I have often argued in text and in person that this is made worse by Ottawa bending over every year come Budget Time. As an overseer, or what have you, it is extremely dangerous to simply signoff on virtually blank cheques to your sons, daughters, dependents, provinces, all that good stuff. We all know trust fund kids who are fucked up beyond all recognition. They will often agree with you that all that money without a proper education in how to manage it is a recipe for Disaster.

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

Well yeah, unfortunately every political party that's in power in Ottawa knows that they have to kowtow to Quebec in order to stay in power, and worst of all, Quebec knows it.

It doesn't help that Quebec has their own version of the Better Business Bureau (AKA Bureau de la Protection de la Consommateur) that gives them all kinds of ridiculous exceptions and special treatments. That bureau alone encourages a lot of willful ignorance for the consumer and makes companies and businesses responsible for their customer's own ignorance. It just adds to the sense of larger businesses wanting to minimize their interaction and discourages them from setting up shop in Quebec.

 

[praktik]

Basically to root this out you need a new constitutional convention that makes Quebec a province like any other.

This will never happen - so you just gotta hope people inside Quebec realize the true cost of these kinds of policies and pursue better policy.

We can help convince them but sometimes our attempts to do so just see them doubling down on stupidity to spite Ottawa and "The West" in response to hectoring from Anglo Canada.

 

[Bernnie Federko]

I expect the Quebecois will eventually grow up and elect to join us so as to escape from their own demons. I believer the boondoggle with the bill for the Olympics was a cultural turning point. And then the Big O falling out of the sky, and now with the bridges. It is only a matter of time.

 

[Blysspluss]

And what of the ever-dwindling Anglos that are treated as second class citizens?

My Grandparents on both sides lived(one of 4 is still alive and in the region) in what used to be predominantly Anglophone parts of Quebec.

Now? Good luck even getting a doctor who will speak your native language. You are a second class citizen. And boy are their provincial politics ever buggered.

 

[Bernnie Federko]

Once again it's on (or, Here we go again)