Former Saskatchewan Party Bill Boyd may soon be facing another conflict of interest investigation. Opposition Leader Nicole Sarauer sent a letter to Conflict of Interest Commissioner Wednesday, requesting he investigate Boyd’s connection to land transactions at the Global Transportation Hub (GTH).
That letter was supplied to Global News by a Saskatchewan NDP staffer.
The letter goes over transactions the 2013 involving a company owned by Robert Tappauf and a company owned by Anthony Marquart. Tappauf’s company purchased 204 acres of land near the GTH, and quickly sold it to Marquart’s company for an approximately a $6 million profit.
That land was then purchased by the GTH for $21 million. Boyd was minister responsible for the GTH at the time. Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson determined that this transaction was not done in a fiscally responsible manner during her inquiry.
“We’ve been hearing from the Sask Party that the Conflict of Interest Commissioner cleared Mr. Boyd on this issue,” Sarauer said. “We now know from the commissioner that was not the case, he was cleared on a completely separate issue.”
Barclay told Global News he gave an opinion to Boyd around a year and a half ago on whether it would be a conflict of interest to rent farmland from Tappauf. Barclay added this conversation took place before the GTH controversy began.
Barclay added he has never given a conflict of interest opinion on the GTH.
In November, Ferguson told the Public Accounts Committee that the audit into the GTH did not “conclusively state that there was no conflict of interest, fraud or wrongdoing with respect to these land transactions related to GTH.”
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Sarauer’s letter makes the case that conflict of interest rules may have been violated because Boyd rented land from a company Tappauf has interest in. It goes on to say Tappauf’s company donated money to Boyd’s 2011 election campaign.
The letter says this demonstrates a clear connection between Boyd and Tappauf, who profited from an inappropriate use of taxpayer money.
Barclay is in the process of determining if there are reasonable and/or probable ground to believe a conflict of interest occurred. He added the active RCMP investigation needs to be weighed in his decision on whether to launch his own investigation.
Boyd is set to retire on Friday, but consequences can follow him into private life. If found to be in conflict, Barclay can recommend that Boyd be fined. The Legislative Assembly would then vote on whether to enforce the punishment.
This is the latest chapter in what has turned into a bad week for Boyd.
On Wednesday he was charged under the Environmental Management and Protection Act as well as the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act. He is facing a total of four charges, and is due in Provincial Court in Kindersley on Oct. 10.
READ MORE: Bill Boyd facing environment, wildlife protection charges
Boyd was also found to be in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act earlier this week over a business trip to China.
He stood to make personal gain from helping convince people to invest in irrigation technology, while his presentation used government logos and he was credited as Saskatchewan Economy Minister in promotional materials, a position he resigned last August.
READ MORE: Commissioner finds Bill Boyd breached the Conflict of Interest Act
Premier Brad Wall requested and received Boyd’s resignation from the Saskatchewan Party caucus Monday.
Boyd retires as MLA for Kindersley Friday, September 1.
Interim NDP Leader Nicole Saruaer’s letter to Conflict of Interest Commissioner Ronald Barclay
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