ADQ wants Bellemare to testify at assembly committee

The Action Dmocratique du Qubec has vowed to table a motion in the national assembly in an attempt to get former Quebec justice minister Marc Bellemare to appear before a legislative committee and reveal what he knows about the fundraising practices of the Quebec Liberal Party.

Bellemare has alleged in several media interviews thathe has embarrassing information that shows the Liberal Party received financial donations from the province's construction industry and that Premier Jean Charest knew about it.

Bellemare should be permitted to present his information beforeone of the national assembly's non-partisan standing committees, said ADQLeader Grard Deltell.

"We have to know the truth," he said. "This former cabinet minister has something to say a justice minister, one of the most prestigious and important cabinet members in office, with a lot of things to say."

The ADQ motion is likely to be defeated by the Liberal government, which holds a majority in the national assembly.

Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis rebuffed the ADQ's demands, appealing instead for Bellemare to co-operate with the province's chief electoral officer, Marcel Blanchet.

"The chief electoral officer is an independent and impartial institution," said Dupuis. "He also has the power to give immunity to someone who he thinks will incriminate themselves."

Refusing to meet with chief electoral officer

Blanchet sent Bellemare a subpoena earlier this week after he refused to meet with himto discuss his allegations.

Bellemare said hecan only testify before a public inquiry that would provide him immunity from his legal obligation to maintain cabinet secrets.

The government has so far rejected the opposition's calls for a public inquiry into the wider issue of corruption in the province's construction industry, saying it wants to let the special police investigation that has been launched into the matter run its course.

Bellemare said hewould beopen to testifying before a national assembly committee if he could begranted the same immunity offered to sitting MNAs but that the government doesn't want him to appear beforesuch acommittee because it is concerned about what he might reveal.

On Tuesday, Bellemare said he has proof that Charest was informed on several occasions about irregularities in his party's fundraising.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Bellemare said he discussed the issue with Charest during the year that he served as a member of the Liberal government from 2003 to 2004.

On Monday, Blanchet's office indicated that Bellemare was expected to meet with the chief electoral officer's investigators on Friday.

Should he refuse to attend, Blanchet will have to decide whether he will refer the case to the Quebec Superior Court, which would decide whether Bellemare is guilty of contempt of court.