Former SQ provincial police chief Florent Gagné didn’t have much of an explanation when asked why he did nothing to investigate allegations of collusion in contracts in Laval, in questioning Friday at the Charbonneau Commission
A transport ministry official tipped Gagné off about the alleged collusion in late 2002 or early 2003. Gagné said that he simply passed the information along to the Department of Criminal Affairs.
“I had a role, which was to stay outside investigations,” he said.
Justice France Charbonneau expressed surprised by the reply.
“You were Director General of the Sûreté du Québec and you did not inquire about the status of investigations brought to your attention? What were you doing then?”
After an awkward silence the witness replied, “I was doing my duties as director general to the best of my conscience.”
Gagné later left the SQ to take a job at the Ministry of Transport in September 2003.
Commission prosecutor Paul Crépeau asked Gagne if he looked into the allegations after making the switch.
Gagné replied that he had not followed them up, another reply that shocked the judge.
“Did others know that you didn’t want to know?” asked Charbonneau sharply.
Gagné said that he asked many questions upon his arrival at the ministry.
“We weren’t naive. We were constantly on our guard,” said Gagné who added that, “Working at the Minister of Transport, you don’t necessarily get up in the morning with the idea of catching bandits.”
Gagné admitted that political considerations influenced some decisons.
Commissioner Renaud Lachance asked if political interference sometimes led to changes. He asked specifically about Julie Boulet who worked at the ministry between 2003 and 2007 under Yvon Marcoux and Michel Despres.
Gagné said that there were more interventions during her time at the ministry.
Hearings resume on May 5.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
