Public Accounts Committee on April 16th, 2007

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Perhaps, if you have some documentation to the contrary, you can share it as well.

Mr. Zaccardelli, I read through this audit from KPMG, and it's not the only document that shows these ridiculous contracting procedures that see people get paid to pass contracts to other people, who then pass them to other people who pass them on to other people, each one getting to skim off the top without actually doing any work. There is plenty of evidence of this. When you removed Mr. Crupi, why did you not remove his security clearance? Why did you allow him to be hired in another department?

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

Is that question directed to me, sir?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Yes.

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

I have no authority over another department to hire anyone.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

When you remove somebody, you have no impact on the security clearance they're going to have in the future?

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

They have a security clearance. When somebody hires someone, they do their own checks and they do their own security clearances.

Remember what I said. I gave instructions on the day I received the audit. In front of my senior executive committee, I told them Mr. Ewanovich had to be removed from his position. I put Barbara George in there and I gave her instructions, as the captain of the ship, to remove Mr. Crupi from his position. I gave those orders, and that's what eventually took place.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Crupi, on roughly what date did you get hired at the Communications Security Establishment?

[Dominic Crupi]

Three weeks ago.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Three weeks ago. Did you indicate to them the background that you have?

[Dominic Crupi]

Yes.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

What about the fact that you were removed from your position for this misconduct?

[Dominic Crupi]

As I said, I was on administrative leave. To my knowledge, I was not removed. There were never any charges of criminal activity laid against me. I disclosed everything.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So you were not removed.

Mr. Zaccardelli, was he not removed for his misconduct?

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

Based on the findings, which were very serious in the audit report and which refer to the same things in the audit report that you referred to—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So the answer is yes, then.

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

—I gave instructions that he was to stop working and be removed from his job.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Because of that misconduct.

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

Absolutely.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay.

So you were removed.

[Dominic Crupi]

I was put on administrative leave.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

And you didn't bother to tell the Communications Security Establishment that when you went to get hired by them.

[Dominic Crupi]

I did. I told them I was on administrative leave. No one ever told me I was being removed.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So is he on administrative leave or was he let go?

[Giuliano Zaccardelli]

I gave instructions to my staff that he was to stop working in that area.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So you're telling me he's on leave now?