Evidence of meeting #13 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
—because there are some holes in your written submission, and if you could provide the committee with documentation referred to in your timelines, including copies of correspondence that you have, that would be wonderful.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Yes, I would be happy to do that.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I really appreciate that. Thank you.
According to your timeline as well, you participated in a conference call with Mr. John Mogford, I think his name was, and others in November of last year. My understanding is that those individuals represent Renewable Energy Group. Are you aware that Mr. Jaffer submitted a funding request on behalf of this company to the infrastructure minister?
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
No. My conference call with them was directly linking to a VC that I had interested in this technology. We wanted to verify and do a due diligence call with these individuals. I believe Gunner Couce is the CEO or the president of that company.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Your written submission states that on September 17 you received an inquiry from the federal officials, and that's what you were going to.... What was the gist of that government interaction, so that we can—
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Can you repeat that? I didn't hear you.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
We talked about the correspondence that was between you and the government and Mr. Jaffer and the government with regard to...I think it was Wright Tech.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
And you're going to provide that to committee, but can you just tell us the gist of it?
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Sure. There was no correspondence between me and the government. It's all correspondence between GPG and the government. I believe it was Patrick Glémaud.
Mr. Glémaud contacted whoever it was but just sent us back the actual federal government requests for information. There were several questions in regard to Green Rite that were sent to Patrick, that were sent to our office and copied to Jim Wright. So we made sure that we got them to respond to all the questions.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Ms. Coady, your time has expired, but there will be another round.
Mr. Guimond, you have eight minutes.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Gillani, you said in your statement that you met seven times with Rahim Jaffer, I believe. Is that correct?
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
It was six, and the first time—yes, seven; that's correct.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I was introduced by my cousin. His name is Aleem Lakhani. He's a Harvard graduate who works for a company called AmTrust Financial, and he has recently also made an article available to Mr. Donovan, so you know, our relationship is also over as a result of this.
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
What services did Mr. Jaffer offer?
You knew that he had been a Conservative MP as well as chair of the National Conservative Caucus?
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Yes. I did. He and Patrick said that they could, again, take any company that we gave them that had potential, as far as viability to them first, so you'd qualify that first level of degree of looking at a deal and making sure that they liked it. Then they would take it to the necessary government body that potentially could fund it; maybe there was a program that was specifically designed for that type of project.
They would deal with all of the work from the day we gave it to them and they liked the project to taking it through the government maze and figuring out whether there was an opportunity to get funding.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
When you refer to the government maze, I suppose you refer to obtaining help to get information on government programs, don't you?
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
They were going to deal with everything, right? That's why we went to Green Power.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
We wanted an intermediary to be able to go and deal with government.