Evidence of meeting #16 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
This is the 16tfh meeting of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. Our order of the day is, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the study of the Mulroney Airbus settlement.
We have one witness in this meeting. Our witness is appearing by video conference from Switzerland. His name is Mr. Giorgio Pelossi. The video conference, I understand, is operational and tested.
Good morning, Mr. Pelossi.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Excellent.
Mr. Pelossi, on December 15, 2007, this committee, the standing committee referred to as the ethics committee, provided me with a list of priority witnesses to be called, and your name was included. We want to thank you sincerely for accepting our invitation to appear before us today.
Mr. Pelossi, we understand that you were an accountant and money manager for Mr. Karlheinz Schreiber from 1969 to 1991. We also understand that you were appointed the trustee of funds that were transferred between a number of industrial companies, such as International Aircraft Leasing, referred to as IAL; Thyssen Industry AG, referred to as Thyssen; and Government Consultants International, referred to as GCI.
Are these facts correct, sir?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you.
I would now ask you to be sworn in for your testimony. Could we proceed with that? The clerk will administer the oath.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Erica Pereira
I will just ask you to repeat after me.
Put your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand, please.
The evidence I shall give on this examination shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
As an Individual
The evidence I shall give on this examination shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Pelossi.
I know that you have been asked about this matter before quite extensively by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation unit. It continues to be before us in another mode. It still is a very serious matter, and we hope you can clarify and/or help us to better understand certain matters brought before the committee.
As a courtesy to our translators—we do this in both official languages here—I'd ask you not to speak too quickly. I certainly will give you all the time you need to make any statements or to respond fully to any questions that committee members may pose to you.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
As an Individual
I have just two questions.
Did you have a chance to see my testimony to the RCMP?
As an Individual
Oh. Okay.
The second is just to tell you that at that time, after my testimony, I was submitted to—I don't know what you call it—a lie detector or something like this, and it was positive that everything I told was true.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you for that, sir.
Do you have an opening statement that you would care to make, or would you like us to lead you through...?
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Dhaliwal was just pointing out to me that you indicated to all other witnesses that any testimony given at the committee couldn't be used in other processes.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you. We're aware, and it's not applicable.
Mr. Pelossi, maybe we could start by having you give us a brief description, please, of your relationship with Mr. Karlheinz Schreiber.
As an Individual
I met Mr. Schreiber the first time in 1969. He had a company with other people here in Lugano. The company was for road-marking, like what he did in Germany.
They had some problems, and the board of directors hired me--or our company--to make an audit of the company just to justify that everything was correct, because Schreiber was accused of having produced losses that they presumed were not true. He was very satisfied with my work and hired me as his consultant for all the business he had outside of Germany.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I'll go to Mr. Tilson on a point of order.
Could you state the nature of your point of order before you get into details?
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I'm going to try, Mr. Chairman.
I've noticed that more and more you are asking questions, and now you're starting off asking questions--
Liberal
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, it's a point of privilege, Mr. Chairman, and you've got to hear me out. You can't just cut me off. Let me have my say.
The point is, Mr. Chairman, you happen to be a Liberal, and I suppose if you're going to ask questions--