The datebook of former justice minister Marc Bellemare covering the time frame where he alleges he was pressured to name three people as judges has been found, his lawyer said Monday.
At the opening of Monday's session, Renald Beaudry told the Bastarache Commission that the document was found by accident by Bellemare's partner.
Beaudry said Lu Chan Kuong was available to testify before the inquiry into the appointment of judges to explain how she found the datebook covering the period from May, 2003 to April, 2004.
Last week, Premier Jean Charest testified that he never met with Bellemare on Sept. 2, 2003, a date on which Bellemare claims he met with Charest to inform him of the pressure he alleges he was under by Liberal fundraisers Franco Fava and Charles Rondeau.
Bellemare resigned from his post in April, 2004, one year after he was elected.
The commission heard testimony Monday morning from Stephane Bertrand, Charest's chief of staff during the years Bellemare was justice minister.
Bertrand said Charest's agenda was set weeks in advance and it would be difficult to squeeze a meeting in at the last minute.
Bertrand says he has no recollection of organizing a meeting between Charest and Bellemare, and that Charest would have told him if such a meeting took place
Chantal Landry is also expected to take the stand Monday to clarify what role she may or may not have played in the influence peddling alleged by Bellemare.
Landry is currently Charest's deputy chief of staff, and she has also been the one responsible for government appointments since 2003.
Last week, Charest testified that he received the names of candidates to be named judges from Landry, and that he had no reason to doubt her integrity.
The visitor's log for Charest's office showed that Rondeau made what amounted to weekly visits during Bellemare's time as justice minister. Most, if not all of those visits were made to speak with Landry.
Bellemare's allegations that Rondeau and Fava pressured him into naming three people as judges is what triggered the inquiry that began its sixth week Monday.
Charest's long-awaited testimony last week did not produce any bombshells, something the premier warned would happen when he said prior to appearing at the hearing that he had no surprises in store.
Following Landry, the commission will hear from three former justice ministers this week: Jacques Dupuis – who just stepped down from the post seven weeks ago – Yvon Marcoux and Kathleen Weil.
