Former justice minister Marc Bellemare was pressed Wednesday to provide objective proof about allegations he made as the Bastarache Commission began Tuesday.

The former minister was prompted by lead counsel Giuseppe Battista for dates, times, notes, and witnesses as Bellemare finished delivering his testimony Wednesday, claiming Liberal fundraisers pressured him to select people as provincial judges. He also claimed Premier Jean Charest was aware of the political pressure.

Bellemare testified he had never taken notes about encounters with several political operatives, including Liberal fundraiser Franco Fava, but that he had an excellent memory of the events that occurred in 2003 and 2004.

Bellemare testified Tuesday that Fava and accountant Charles Rondeau influenced the selections of Quebec judges Marc Bisson, Michel Simard and Line Gosselin-Despres.

Bellemare claims Charest said: ‘Fava, Rondeau, the judges -- that doesn't exist.'

On Wednesday, Bellemare alleged that Charest expressed concern the day he resigned that he might one day reveal the political party's hidden influence.

"When we met on the day I stepped down, he (Charest) reminded me of the oath," said Bellemare, who quit cabinet and gave up his national assembly seat in April 2004.

"He was very nervous. He told me, 'You know that you have a ministerial oath: Fava, Rondeau, the judges -- that doesn't exist."'

Battista asked Bellemare Wednesday why he named provincial judges instead of resigning if he felt pressure to appoint judges, and preferred not to kowtow to fundraisers.

Bellemare replied that he stayed on as justice minister because Premier Jean Charest told him that political reforms would happen before the year was out.

Bellemare resigned in April 2004, less than a year after being elected, because the Liberal party abandoned a plan to abolish no-fault car insurance.

He will return to the Commission next week to face cross-examination from government and Liberal party lawyers.

The inquiry has already turned into a battle of 'he said, he said' between Bellemare and Premier Jean Charest, and is expected to get even more heated as Bellemare faces cross-examination.

Charest adviser denies claims

Among those Bellemare has pointed the finger at is former close adviser to Charest, Denis Roy, who advised Charest on matters of public security in 2003.

On Tuesday, Bellemare accused Roy of attempting to meddle in a criminal trial.

Roy responded Wednesday by denying the allegations and defending himself, as well as attacking Bellemare's motives for making the allegations.

"I've never asked Marc Bellemare to intervene in the criminal process," said Roy in a news conference.

Though Bellemare never specified to which trial he was referring, Roy said he believed it was likely Operation Printemps which began in 2001 as one of Quebec's largest biker busts, and potentially the largest criminal trial in Quebec history.

"On Aug. 4, 2003, counsel for the defendants accepted the Crown's proposal," said Roy. "We learned, four days later, of minister Marc Bellemare's refusal."

On Aug. 11 Judge Paul gave the jury instructions, and referred to Bellemare calling the case "serious and unprecedented in the history of Canadian justice."

Roy claims he never spoke to Bellemare about the case before Aug. 11

Bellemare dropped bombshells on Tuesday

In the past, Bellemare said he made nominations to the bench under political pressure and he told the premier about it.

On the stand Tuesday, Bellemare went much further, saying that while he was justice minister he complained to Charest about the pressure he was facing from Liberal fundraiser Franco Fava.

Bellemare testified that Charest said, "Fava is a friend, he is a major fundraiser. We need people like that."

"He told me 'If Franco told you to name Simard and Bisson, name them,'" said Bellemare.

Liberal image at stake

In response to the testimony, Charest called a snap news conference Tuesday to deny he was privy to questionable influence in the naming of judges.

"It is important that Quebecers hear directly from me what I had already had the opportunity of saying in regards to his allegation that someone, people, had influenced him or me or the government in nomination of judges," said Charest.

Charest then reiterated that there had been no undue political influence on judicial nominations.

Political analysts say the allegations alone have been incredibly damaging to the Liberal party's image.

"A lot of people are going to get splattered with mud. The idea is how the Liberal party itself will come out of this," said Antonia Maioni from McGill's University's department of political science.

The federal Liberals suffered the same fate following the 2005 Gomery Commission into nefarious party dealings, also launched by the party's leader at the time, former prime minister Paul Martin.

It tarnished the Liberal brand, said political analyst Jean Lapierre.

"It will probably take a generation for the Liberal Party of Canada to regain the confidence of Quebecers," said Lapierre. "So this (inquiry) is very high-stakes game for the Liberal party itself."

The premier is expected to deliver his testimony at the inquiry next week.

With files from Canadian Press