Who's who? McGill University hospital $22.5M bribery case - Action News
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Who's who? McGill University hospital $22.5M bribery case

A who's who lists the accused in the $22.5-million fraud and bribery case. Quebec investigators allege executives of Montreal engineering firm SNC-Lavalin conspired to pay "consultant fees" to shell companies in a bid to funnel bribes to McGill University hospital executives in a successful bid by SNC to win a $1.4-billlion construction contract.

Targets of 'the biggest fraud and corruption investigation in Canadian history,' says Sret du Qubec

PIERRE DUHAIME

Pierre Duhaime, ex-CEO of SNC-Lavalin. (Sret du Qubec)

Forced to resign as CEO of SNC-Lavalin in March 2012 amidinternal audits, Duhaime was arrested later that year on charges of fraud, conspiracy and issuing false documents.Police allege he ordered secret payments to a shell company Sierra Assessment Management contracted to help SNC win the $1.4-billion contract to build the McGill University super hospital in Montreal.

RIADH BEN ASSA

Riadh Ben Aissa, former executive vice-president of construction at SNC-Lavalin. (Sret du Qubec)

Ben Assa was forced to resign as SNC-Lavalinexecutive vice-president of construction in February 2012 and was arrested two months later in Switzerland accused of bribery and corruption in dealings with Libya. In August of 2014 Swiss Authorities accepted an out-of-court settlement from Ben Assa's lawyers, allowing him to be extradited to Canada that October, where he was charged with 16 counts, including fraud and issuing false documents, for allegedly ordering $22.5 million in kickbacks to help SNC-Lavalin win the MUHC contract.

DR.ARTHUR PORTER

Dr. Arthur Porter, former MUHC executive director. (Sret du Qubec)

Dr. Arthur Porter, oncologist and businessman, became director of MUHC in January 2004. Prime Minister Stephen appointed him in September 2008 to also sit on the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), which overseas Canada's spy agencies. In 2009, SNC-Lavalin hired Porter's Bahamian company, purportedly for work in North Africa, but Quebec police believe the $22.5-millionSNC paid to the "consulting company" went to kickbacks to Porter and other hospital executives. In late 2011 Porter quit the MUHC andSIRC, where he had become chairman, and returned to the Bahamas where his family lived. He was arrested at the airport in Panama in May 2013.He was fighting extradition back to Canada when he died of cancer in Panama in July 2015.

PAMELA PORTER

Pamela Porter, wife of Arthur Porter. (Sret du Qubec)

Pamela Porter is the only person convicted in the McGill University Health Centre $22.5 million kickback scheme. In December of 2014 the wife of Dr. Arthur Porter admitted to wilful blindness in pleading guilty to two counts of money launderingone for passing on email instructions from her husband to various banks, and the second for allowing her representatives to gather money for her $250,000 bail in 2013 from accounts that included tainted money. The guilty plea allowed Quebec's proceeds of crime bureau to start recouping $5.5 million in assets from the Porter family.

Porter was released from jail in June 2015.

YANAIELBAZ

Yanai Elbaz, former MUHC director of redevelopment. (Sret du Qubec)

YanaiElbaz is a former director of redevelopment for the McGill University Health Centre who worked closely with executive director Arthur Porter. He was arrested in February 2013 and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud. He islisted as a director, alongside his brother, Yohann Elbaz, of Pan Global Holdings, which police allege received $11.25 million in illicit payments according to testimony before the Charbonneaucommission.

ST. CLAIR ARMITAGE

St. Clair Armitage, expert on public-private partnerships. (Sret du Qubec)

St. Clair Armitage is a British consultant specializing in "public-private partnerships" who wrote a report influencing the granting of the $1.4-billion MUHC mega project.

He was released on $75,000 bail in June 2014 in Montreal and allowed to return to England awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy, fraud and breach of trust.

All charges against Armitagewere withdrawn on Oct. 3, 2016.

YOHANN ELBAZ

Yohann Elbaz, lawyer. (Sret du Qubec)

Yohann Elbaz is a lawyer and brother of former MUHC director of redevelopment YanaiElbaz. Police allege he was director, with his brother, in the shell company Pan Global Holdings, which received $11.25 million in illicit payments.

He was arrested in April 2013 and charged with a string of offences including fraud and moneylaundering. He has waived his right to a pre-trial and his case will be heard April 2nd.

JEREMY MORRIS

Jeremy Morris, lawyer in the Bahamas. (Sret du Qubec)

Jeremy Morris is a Bahamian lawyer alleged to have been a principal inSierra Asset Managementand who helped to open Pan Global Holdings.

According to police, they were shell companies used to funnel $22.5 million in illicit payments from SNC-Lavalin to former MUHC executives. Morris surrendered to police in Montreal in March 2013 but was allowed to return to the Bahamas to await trial on charges of fraud, conspiracy and laundering proceeds of crime.

On Oct. 24, 2016, all charges against Morris were dropped.


STEPHANE ROY

TheSretduQubeclaid 11 charges against ex-SNC-Lavalin VP Stphane Roy in September 2014 for hisallegedrole in whatpolice described as a vast conspiracyto pay secret commissions to hospital officials to win the MUHC hospital construction project. Roy,who served as financial controller in the company's construction division,wascharged earlier in 2014with foreign bribery, fraud and defying aUN resolution.

CBC News, Charbonneau Commission