TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) Canada's official opposition party is calling for a police investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's relationship with the WE Charity, Conservative Michael Barrett told reporters on Friday.
The call comes amid backlash after the Trudeau government awarded a $670 million sole-source contract to the WE Charity to administer a student volunteer program and multiple investigative pieces that revealed close ties between the charity and the prime minister.
"It is very clear, that there is sufficient grounds for this matter to be investigated by the police," Barrett said citing a section of the Criminal Code of Canada which deals with fraud at the government level.
The section says that anyone who directly, or indirectly, "gives, offers or agrees to give or offer to an official or to any member of his family, or to any one for the benefit of an official" commits an offense. Barrett said that multiple subsections of the quoted criminal offense may be applied in this case.
Barrett said that an investigation has to also uncover which cabinet members knew of the alleged wrongdoing.
The Conservatives have stopped short of explicitly calling for Trudeau to step aside until the Royal Canadian Mounted Police makes a determination whether to proceed with an investigation or not. Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has called on Trudeau to step aside while the investigation is ongoing and deputize Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to lead government in the interim.
An investigation by independent media outlets Canadaland that revealed that Trudeau's mother Margaret Trudeau, brother Alexandre Trudeau were paid a combined $258,000 for speaking engagements at WE charity events. Trudeau's wife Sophie has also participated in a number of WE Charity events around the world.
Additionally, the Rebel news reported that WE Charity founders Craig and Marc Kleinberg have given donations to both Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada.
Canada's Ethics Commissioner has ordered an investigation into whether any wrongdoing occurred. The investigation will be the third against Trudeau during his time in office after the prime minister was twice found in violation of conflict of interest rules for interfering in the corruption investigation of Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin's dealings in Libya and improperly accepting gifts or "other advantages" when visiting the Aga Khan's island.
