SQ expands investigation into alleged influence peddling by senior Quebec Liberals

Provincial police are expanding an investigation into alleged influence peddling by two senior Liberal politicians, including onestill serving in the National Assembly.

The Suret du Qubec announced Monday that it is reinforcing theteaminvestigating allegations that MNA and Liberal house leader Jean-Marc Fournier and former Quebec finance ministerRaymond Bachandmet witha property developer to discuss a contribution to the Liberal party in exchange for political favours.

In a statement Monday, the SQ said the move comes in response to "information published today," which is believed to refer to stories published by French-language news outlets TVA and Le Journal deMontral that named the two politicians.

Last April,thehead of the Montreal police brotherhood, Yves Francoeur, told a Quebec radio station numerous sources had told him that two members of the Liberal Party of Quebec, one still in office, wereinvestigated for fraud and influence peddling.

• Case against 2 Liberal MNAs dropped despite evidence, says Montreal police union boss

Francoeursaid charges should have been laid,but weren't, because the people involved were Liberal elected officials.

Francoeur did not name the two men at the time, but does so in an eight-page statement to the SQthat was obtained by TVA and Le Journal deMontral.

In the statement, Francoeursays four sources told him that Fournier and Bachandmet with a developer to discussa donation to the Liberals in return for development rights and / or the rezoning of lands.

High-ranking SQ officer stopped investigation, Francoeur says

Francoeurmaintains that a police investigation took place, but says he was told by a sourcethat a high-ranking SQ officer stopped the investigation.

The SQ opened itsinvestigationin May at the request of both the Liberal government and the Crown prosecutor's office.

• Quebec Crown wants police to investigate allegations 2 LiberalMNAsescaped justice

On Monday, provincial policesaid its investigating team will now be supported by officers from the RCMPand from the police departments of Quebec City, Longueuil and Gatineau.

The team is being co-supervised by SQ deputy director Yves Morencyand Madeleine Giauque, head of Quebec's independent investigations bureau.

ThePartiQubecoisresponded to the naming of Fournierby calling on Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard to suspend him until the matter is clarified.

In an interview Monday with Radio-Canada, Fourniersaid he attended a party finance meetingat the location alleged by Francoeur, but denied the rest.

"At that meeting there was never any intervention or conversation about an exchange [of political favours] for adonation to the party," he said. "That never happened."

He said he did speak with a developer who was having difficulty getting approval for a project on the Boucherville islands, but there was never any talk of helping him in exchange for a donation.

Despite denying any wrongdoing, Fournier said he's weighing his options.

"My first reflex is not to step aside," he said. "On the other hand, I am a leader and I have to protect the government."

He said he was eager to speak with investigators to providehis side of the story.

Bchard attended meeting, not Bachand, Fournier says

Fournieralso told Radio-Canadait was formernatural resources minister ClaudeBchardwho attended the meeting with him, notBachand.

That assertionwas repeated byBachand, who is currently representing Quebec in talks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"How can you defend yourself against something that didn't happen," Bachand said. "Mr. Francoeur has made a false allegation. Maybe he was misinformed, but the least he can do is apologize."

Couillard said Monday from New York City that the allegations should be taken "with a grain of salt."

"I have confidence in Mr. Fournier," he said.

As to Bachand's alleged involvement, Couillard called that report a "major factual error."

• Quebec Liberals approached police union boss Yves Francoeur to replace Robert Poti