The used car sales party may have formulated another hot deal for Canadians:
Paul Coffin, accused in sponsorship case, may plead guilty to fraud charges
MONTREAL (CP) – Paul Coffin, the first person charged in the sponsorship scandal, may plead guilty to fraud charges when he returns to court May 31.
Coffin’s trial on 18-fraud related charges is currently scheduled to begin June 6 but the ad man appeared in court Tuesday and was told by a judge to return next Tuesday. Reports indicate Coffin’s lawyers have been in negotiations with the Crown and that lawyers and the judge have held two telephone conference calls.
Coffin’s lawyers were not immediately available for comment and Crown prosecutor Francois Drolet would not confirm reports of a guilty plea.
“The date of May 31, in principle, has not been set for nothing,” he said.
Coffin, who is in his 60s, is president of Communication Coffin. He was arrested in September 2003 on charges relating to 18 federally sponsored events which took place between 1997 and 2002.
The events included local automobile and bicycle races, festivals and ski activities.
Coffin, who previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, told the sponsorship inquiry on April 27 he regularly submitted false invoices valued at $2.7 million to the federal government at the request of sponsorship program boss Chuck Guite.
Guite, who also faces criminal charges, has denied the allegations.
In his testimony, Coffin shed light on alleged bureaucratic co-operation in a scheme to create a trail of falsified paperwork and inflated bills for several files, including then-prime minister Jean Chretien’s Clarity Act, which set ground rules for sovereignty referendums.
The inquiry chaired by Justice John Gomery is examining irregular spending in the sponsorship program, which was supposed to promote Canadian unity but has been accused of funnelling millions in government contracts to Liberal-friendly ad firms.
Meanwhile, the Gomery Inquiry heard today that the original paltry $250 MILLION Liberal Party scam involved much more than just that. It’s closer to $355 MILLION.
Imagine, as I always advise, what we don’t know.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
Contact Mr. Johannesen about this article using this form. Please refer to article's title.
FOLLOW @JoelJohannesen ON X!
- Take This - Wednesday May 15, 2024 at 1:02 pm
- Wow what a shock: a Big Government project’s cost estimate has DOUBLED — in only a few months - Tuesday April 30, 2024 at 4:50 pm
- UPDATED: State-Funding of Sports Boondoggles Need To Be Sent To The Penalty Box - Wednesday March 13, 2024 at 4:44 pm
