‘It is illegal for anyone other than a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to make a political contribution or to conceal the source of a contribution’
Five charges have been laid against Bernard Poulin, founder and CEO of Groupe S.M. International Inc., an engineering firm, under the Canada Elections Act.
The charges relate to an investigation into the firm for illegal contributions made to federal political entities between Jan. 1, 2004 and June 11, 2009.
As the founder and chief executive officer of the firm, Poulin is charged with having solicited political contributions from his employees and from an employee's spouse while offering them a reimbursement from the company.
Under the act, it is illegal for anyone other than a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to make a political contribution or to conceal the source of a contribution.
The charges were filed on Sept. 21, 2020, in the Court of Quebec in Montreal. Details of the charges can be found on the Commissioner's website at www.cef-cce.ca.
The Commissioner of Canada Elections is the independent officer responsible for ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of, the Canada Elections Act and the federal Referendum Act.
In July, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) charged a man from Calgary, Alberta for allegedly setting up an employment scam to try to steal tax return claims worth more than $760,000.
