Sixth person charged in alleged McGill hospital fraud

Sixth person charged in alleged McGill hospital fraud by Tu Thanh Ha, April 25, 2013, The Globe and Mail
A lawyer has become the sixth person to be charged in connection with an alleged fraud case at Montreal’s English hospital complex that has embroiled the hospital’s former chief executive and the former head of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. Quebec’s anti-corruption squad arrested Yohann Elbaz Thursday morning after provincial prosecutors authorized 16 criminal counts against him, including fraud, fraud against government, breach of trust, handling secret commissions and money laundering. Mr. Elbaz is a member of the Quebec bar association and the brother of Yanai Elbaz, a former director of redevelopment for the McGill University Health Centre, who was already facing charges in the same investigation.

Other people also charged in the file include former MUHC executive director Arthur Porter, former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime and former SNC-Lavalin construction head Riadh Ben Aïssa. Dr. Porter, who oversaw the MUHC for seven years, negotiated a $1.3-billion contract granted to SNC-Lavalin in 2010 to build a massive new hospital complex. A forensic audit ordered by SNC-Lavalin’s board showed that $22.5-million was transferred from SNC-Lavalin to a firm incorporated in the Bahamas in 2009, Sierra Asset Management. Jeremy Morris, a Bahamas resident believed to be a principal with the company, is also among the men charged in the investigation. Yohann Elbaz worked on a number of mandates as an external consultant for the MUHC, from 2009 to October, 2011, the hospital said in a statement. Saying that it continues to co-operate with police, the MUHC declined to comment further. Yohann Elbaz is to appear in court in Montreal on May 23. His brother and Mr. Morris and Mr. Duhaime have also appeared in court. Mr. Ben Aïssa is currently detained in Switzerland. Now living in the Bahamas, Dr. Porter says he is too ill with cancer to travel to face investigators. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

SNC-Lavalin to replace chairman Gwyn Morgan, directors in board revamp, Bribery probe of SCN-Lavalin reaches former spy watchdog

From fracking to SNC-Lavalin: The truth about corporate kingpin Gwyn Morgan

A toxic practice, a poisonous relationship: what’s the connection between water for fracking and SNC-Lavalin’s Chair Gwyn Morgan, past CEO of Encana?

Canada’s former spy watchdog is now a wanted man in Quebec

HSBC is expected to pay US authorities a record $1.9bn (£1.18bn) to settle allegations that its failure to enforce anti-money laundering rules, Swiss Probe $139M SNC-Lavalin Laundering Case, Gwyn Morgan SNC-Lavalin Chair says company aiming at improving compliance

Swiss Probe $139M SNC-Lavalin Laundering Case, Gwyn Morgan SNC-Lavalin Chair says company aiming at improving compliance, but won’t comment on allegation $22.5M payment linked to MUHC superhospital project

SNC Lavalin Board of Directors

Snc-Lavalin Group Inc (SNC: Toronto) by Investing Businessweek, December 10, 2012, Executive Profile* Gwyn Morgan CM, Chairman, Chairman of Governance Committee and Member of Special Transition Committe, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Background* Mr. Gwyn Morgan, CM founded EnCana Corporation andserved as its President and Chief Executive Officer from April 2002 to December 31, 2005. Mr. Morgan served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Energy Company Ltd. from 1994 to 2003. He joined Alberta Energy Company Ltd. in 1975 during the start-up of operations and served as a Member of the founding management of the Alberta Energy Company Ltd., a Predecessor of EnCana Corporation. … Mr. Morgan has been Chairman of SNC Lavalin Group Inc. since May 4, 2007. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. Mr. Morgan served as Executive Vice Chairman of EnCana Corporation from December 2005 to October 12, 2006. He has been an Independent Director of SNC Lavalin Group Inc. since March 4, 2005. He serves as a Director of the Institute of the Americas, Member of the Board of Governor of the Council for Canadian Unity and a Trustee of The Fraser Institute. Mr. Morgan serves as a Director of the American Petroleum Institute and a Member of the Accenture Energy Advisory Board. He served as a Director of EnCana Corporation from 1993 to October 12, 2006. He served as an Independent Non Executive Director of HSBC Holdings plc since October 3, 2006 until May 2012. He served as an Independent Director of Rio Tinto Alcan (Also known as Alcan Inc.) since January 18, 2006. He served as a Director of Alberta Energy Company Ltd. (AEC) from 1993 to 2003. He served as a Director of HSBC Bank Canada from December 1996 to 2006 and served as its Lead Director.

Is Gwynn Morgan in a conflict? By Cheryl Baron, October 5, 2012, The Province
How is it that SNC Lavalin can be selected by the B.C. Liberal government as the “preferred proponent” to design and build the $1.4-billion Evergreen rapid transit line while board chairman Gwynn Morgan donated $10,000 to Christy Clark’s leadership campaign and is actively advising the premier on her transition team, and while the actual company is still under active investigation for allegations of corruption in Quebec and overseas?

SNC-Lavalin hit with $1.65 billion class-action lawsuit

Class action proposed against SNC-Lavalin 

The Gwyn Morgan File: Rise of a Shale Gas Baron (Part One of Two)

The Gwyn Morgan File: EnCana’s Grip on BC (Part Two of Two)

Citizen EnCana The double life of Calgary’s greatest corporation, Good Corporate Citizen or Evil Empire

Eminently Unsuitable Nikiforuk on Gwyn Morgan

Tories name EnCana founder to vet appointments ]

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