Government Operations Committee on April 28th, 2010

[Nazim Gillani]

No, not at all. As to any move that these companies have made, actually, these two companies have gone on their own and made these changes on their own. We're no longer shareholders of those two businesses at all.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Okay. I want to come back to the intimidation that...anyways.... Did you know or did you not know if Mr. Jaffer was a registered lobbyist?

[Nazim Gillani]

I had no idea whether he was or wasn't. I wasn't aware of the lobbying, so how would I...?

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Okay.

Mr. Gillani, we still have no confirmation about why the Prime Minister asked the RCMP to investigate Ms. Guergis. Can you enlighten the committee as to whether you have been contacted by the RCMP, the Ethics Commissioner, or anyone in government relating to an investigation involving the circumstances that led Ms. Guergis to resign or be fired from cabinet?

[Nazim Gillani]

I have not had any contact with the RCMP. I have no idea. I've heard the same thing you have--that this is all based on Mr. Snowdy's storytelling.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Okay. Let's talk about Mr. Snowdy.

[Nazim Gillani]

Yes. Thank you.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

You've made it clear that you disagree, if I understood properly, with many of the claims made by Mr. Snowdy.

[Nazim Gillani]

Yes, vehemently.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

But your spokesperson confirmed that you met with Mr. Snowdy in the summer of 2009.

[Nazim Gillani]

Yes, once, for five minutes.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

All right. At that meeting, Mr. Snowdy has stated, you claimed to have connections to the Conservative Party through Rahim Jaffer and Helena Guergis. Is it your position that you never made that claim and in fact had not even met Mr. Jaffer or Ms. Guergis at that time? Am I to understand that?

[Nazim Gillani]

My understanding is that I met Rahim Jaffer on August 25, and I believe Mr. Snowdy says he met me on August 27, two days later, and that I was making all of these ridiculous allegations that he's making.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

So what you're saying to me is that when you met Mr. Snowdy in 2009, you had not met before--

[Nazim Gillani]

I had met Mr. Jaffer two days prior.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

You had met Mr. Jaffer two days prior. I see.

[Nazim Gillani]

Two days prior, for the first time ever.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Okay. Mr. Snowdy also claims that you showed him a series of offshore companies and claimed that Jaffer and Guergis not only had companies reserved for them, but they also put you in contact with someone in Belize who could help set up the companies. Mr. Snowdy has even produced a document that lists specific companies in Panama supposedly registered by you.

[Nazim Gillani]

Yes.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Can you explain that?

[Nazim Gillani]

It's an absolute lie-a 100% absolute lie.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

You talked about your cellphone a little while ago, but I want to be very, very clear. I want to help you out on this.

[Nazim Gillani]

Thank you.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Snowdy claims that you obtained photographs of Mr. Jaffer and Ms. Guergis that could have left them open to blackmail. Do you have access, did you have access, or do you know of anybody who has access to photographs that could be damaging to Ms. Guergis or Mr. Jaffer?

[Nazim Gillani]

No--and again, another complete fabrication.