Evidence of meeting #17 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 gillani.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
Do you believe unequivocally that Mr. Apps worked on behalf of Mr. Gillani?
4:50 p.m.
As an Individual
Absolutely. That's how he got to Teplitsky, Colson. It was through Mr. Apps, so obviously he was aware of the business conduct and activities.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
The Bloc asked if they could take two minutes of your time. Are you willing to give it?
Go ahead, Monsieur Guimond. Vous disposez de deux minutes.
4:50 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thanks as well to my Conservative colleagues for giving me this opportunity.
I would simply like you to explain to us in two minutes what the procedure is for opening offshore bank accounts, such as those opened by Rahim Jaffer in Belize. Are signatures required, pieces of identification? If possible, do you have in your possession any documents that might enlighten the committee, signatures, for example?
4:50 p.m.
As an Individual
How you open an account depends upon the jurisdiction where the account is established. Some countries regulate their bank accounts rather strictly because they are identified as potential narco-states by the United States government, so they, in conjunction with some of their financial institutions and their government, construct rules and regulations. Some of them include producing identification, providing copies of reference letters from known legal sources, etc.
Others won't allow a foreigner to actually open a corporation. What you end up doing is going through law firms that have established the corporations with local boards of directors and then you become what's known as the beneficial owner of that corporation by buying into a trust at the various law firms, so if you need to do it without ID, it can be done. If you need to do it with ID, it can be done. You just have to pick the country in which you want to do it.
4:50 p.m.
Bloc
May 12th, 2010 / 4:50 p.m.
As an Individual
In Belize you can retain lawyers practising in Belize to operate an account on your behalf. That can be done over the Internet. It can be done with a phone call. It can be done with couriers at UPS.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
If I may, Mr. Snowdy, I'd like to get the actual date of your first meeting with Mr. Hamilton, please, for the record.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Okay, thank you.
You stated that you've made no allegations of criminal wrongdoing regarding Ms. Guergis to Mr. Hamilton, yet we do know the Prime Minister based his decision on serious allegations regarding Ms. Guergis' conduct. Did you make any allegations at all about the conduct of Ms. Guergis to Mr. Hamilton that could be of serious--
4:55 p.m.
As an Individual
Not only is it not my place to point a finger at a member of Parliament and question their conduct, but my role in discussing--
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Okay, I just wanted to know. You're saying you've made no allegations whatsoever about her conduct, no allegations at all.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you very much.
To address Mr. Warkentin's concerns, I would like to ask you about your communications with the Ethics Commissioner. Who initiated those communications or those contacts?
4:55 p.m.
As an Individual
I received a phone call at two o'clock in the afternoon of April 9 from--
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
That was the same day you spoke with Mr. Hamilton for the first time.
4:55 p.m.
As an Individual
That's correct.
I actually broke a tooth the night of April 8 when I was grinding my teeth watching the news. I got a phone call at two o'clock in the afternoon of April 9 from a man who identified himself as Mr. Eppo Maertens. He provided me with his name and telephone number. I was going into the dentist to have my tooth repaired and I told him I would phone him back.
I made some preliminary inquiries. I tasked one of my assistants to find out who Mr. Maertens was and I was out of the dental chair at 3:30. I received a report back that Mr. Maertens was an employee of the Ethics Commissioner's office. At four o'clock in the afternoon I returned Mr. Maertens' phone call.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
4:55 p.m.
As an Individual
Mr. Maertens said to me that he had received a letter from Mr. Guy Giorno in the Prime Minister's Office that indicated that I had made specific allegations and claims against a member of Parliament.
I asked him if he would read me the letter. He put me on hold for a minute and a half, came back, and read to me a letter that had my name in it several times. It said that Derrick Snowdy said this or said that about the conduct of the minister. I said, “No, I did not say that. No, sir, I did not say that.”