QUEBEC – Premier Jean Charest said Thursday he was “very disappointed” at suggestions made by Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois that his government is trying to protect the Mafia.
Marois asked Charest again Thursday where his interest is protecting the public or protecting his Quebec Liberal Party.
Charest said his government has committed “millions of dollars” on police operations and government controls to probe allegations of corruption in the construction industry and has 500 people looking into those allegations.
“We are taking this seriously,” the premier said.
Marois replied that the matter was “serious” and it is clear the police pointing fingers at the influence of organized crime in winning public contracts, paid with public money.
“We want people to be convicted and put in prison,” Charest said.
But Bertrand St-Arnaud, the PQ public security critic, recalled that unions representing Montreal and provincial police, as well as crown prosecutors, have all called for a public inquiry.
“It seems clear to me,” St-Arnaud continued. “Many pizzerias, cafés and businesses have been firebombed in the last year and the assassination yesterday of Nic Rizzuto shows one thing: organized crime in renewing itself and is ready to perpetuate the system.”
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