Former Edmonton MP Rahim Jaffer is set to testify Wednesday in front of a parliamentary committee, the first time he will face questions since explosive allegations surfaced that he and his wife, former minister of state Helena Guergis, were photographed in the presence of cocaine users and prostitutes.
The House of Commons government operations and estimates committee has called Jaffer and his business partner, Patrick Glemaud, to discuss a narrow set of issues surrounding the circumstances of meetings Jaffer and Glemaud had with government MPs that may have involved either or both seeking information about government funding involving their firm, Green Power Generation Inc. The opposition Liberals allege Jaffer or Glemaud may have violated federal laws on lobbying activities, an accusation Glemaud has denied.
Jaffer, who represented Edmonton-Strathcona from 1997 until his defeat in the 2008 federal election, is not a registered lobbyist.
And, despite a last-minute attempt by the NDP to delay Jaffer’s testimony, the commons committee will proceed this week with its examination of his post-political business practices.
"I think Canadians deserve answers … about what exactly is involved here," said Liberal MP Mark Holland. "Was there abuse of trust? Was there an abuse potentially of public office? What exactly was going on with all of this, rather nefarious activities that seem to be going on? I think Canadians deserve those answers."
But though MPs on that committee say they want to stick closely to the lobbying issue, Jaffer is sure to face questions on a broader range of issues, from reporters at least, on a whole host of events that have occurred since he last spoke in public, outside a courthouse in Orangeville, Ont. on March 9 when he pleaded guilty to careless driving and saw charges of possession of cocaine and drunk driving dropped by provincial prosecutors.
That decision by the provincial prosecutor raised several questions on its own but then, two weeks ago, new, more serious allegations surfaced involving Jaffer and Guergis that have since been referred to the RCMP, Parliament’s ethics commissioner and Parliament’s lobbying commissioner.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on April 9, fired Guergis from cabinet, suspended her from caucus, and called in the police and the ethics commissioner to investigate allegations — allegations upon which the government still refuses to comment — that Harper said only involved Guergis.
Canwest News Service has reported that Harper acted on allegations brought to him by private investigator Derrick Snowdy, who said that he was told by a Toronto businessman, Nazim Gillani, that Gillani had cellphone photographs of Jaffer and Guergis "partying" with "hookers" and cocaine.
Snowdy met with RCMP investigators in Milton, Ont., Monday morning on the Guergis allegations.
Comments