Lino Zambito will no longer be collaborating with the province's anti-corruption unit, UPAC, after affidavits released this week targeted him as a possible source of leaks regarding sensitive investigations. 

 

 

"What's clear is I'm not the source UPAC is looking for," Zambito told reporters at a press conference Sunday. 

He is also calling for an independent investigation into the force before the adoption of Bill 107, an act that would "increase the jurisdiction and independence of the Anti-Corruption Commissioner and the Bureau des Enquetes Independantes" and "expand the power of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions to grant certain benefits to cooperating witnesses," according to the National Assembly's website. 

The legislation would create an independent surveillance committee to oversee UPAC, but it would also give UPAC more power.

Zambito is calling on Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux to "restore order" at UPAC. Although he respects the institution, he said, there's is a pervasive issue with upper management.

In fact, Zambito believes that the leaks originated from the upper tiers of the unit.

"When officers go to arrest someone at six in the morning, and journalists are already parked outside, it's not coming from the suspect," Zambito said. "There's only one source, and that's UPAC."

A three-page summary of a Sureté du Quebec examination into the province's anti-corruption squad, released last week, has MNAs asking for more information.

The brief about the work culture at UPAC is damning: it says the squad is plagued by rivalries and jealousy, with senior staff members putting down junior employees in front of their colleagues.

The note says employees are subject to favouritism when it comes to overtime pay and promotions.

It also points out a lack of training and coaching for investigators.

Zambito is known as a whistleblower-- he testified on corruption and collusion at the Charbonneau Comission and pled guilty to fraud and corruption charges in 2015. But he asserts that the plea is evidence that he's paid his debt to society, and is a credible source. 

He's also collaborated as a witness in at least four separate UPAC inquiries.

However, Zambito said he only learned of the addidavits in the media -- he claims he's neber met Richard Despatie or Stephane Bonhomme, the two other people named in the affidavits for allegedly collaborating to leak information to the media, along with MNA Guy Ouellette. 

Last October, Ouellette was arrested and released in relation to the leaks. He still isn't facing any charges -- but in a speech to the National Assembly, he claimed he was being set up and framed.  

Ouellette alleges the anti-corruption squad tried to scare him out of investigating high-ranking officers, a claim that UPAC quickly moved to refute. 

 

 

"My integrity, despite my past, people respect," he explained.

Zambito expressed fear that Bill 107 will be adopted prematurely by the Liberal government, and that the proverbial ball is now in Coiteux's court.

Before then, Zambito believes the mystery of the leaks needs to be solved, and not by an internal investigation.

"We have to be honest," he said. "We can't ask the person who is named by the government to go inquire on the government."