Txiasaeia
May 31st, 2005, 11:18 AM
Paul Coffin, the first person charged in the sponsorship scandal, pleaded guilty to 15 out of 18 counts of fraud this morning in a Montreal court.
Coffin, president of Communication Coffin, was arrested in September 2003 on charges relating to 18 federally sponsored events.
Under his pleas, the agreed amount of total fraud against the federal government is $1,556,625 -- which amounts to half of the ad executive's total billings.
Three of the 18 fraud charges that Coffin originally faced were withdrawn by the Crown.
His plea this morning comes six days ahead of the scheduled beginning of his fraud trial. Sentencing arguments will take place on Aug. 16.
Reports indicate Coffin's lawyers have been in negotiations with the Crown and that lawyers and the judge have held two telephone conference calls.
Coffin told the sponsorship inquiry on April 27 he regularly submitted false invoices valued at $2.7 million to the federal government at the request of sponsorship program boss Chuck Guite, who has denied the allegations.
Coffin previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In his inquiry testimony, Coffin shed light on alleged bureaucratic cooperation in a scheme to create a trail of falsified paperwork and inflated bills for several files, including then-prime minister Jean Chretien's Clarity Act, which set ground rules for sovereignty referendums.
Justice John Gomery's inquiry is examining irregular spending in the sponsorship program -- which was supposed to promote Canadian unity after the Quebec referendum, but has been accused of funnelling millions in government contracts to Liberal-friendly ad firms.
Coffin also testified at the Gomery inquiry that:
-He fronted a Health Canada ad contract for another ad agency, Gingko Group, and took a commission even though Gingko did all of the work.
-He had a close friendship with Guite and once hired the bureaucrat as a consultant following Guite's retirement.
-Guite and assistant Huguette Tremblay were participants in a scheme to top off production-fee budgets for a number of sponsorship files from 1997 to 1999.
-Guite asked him to bill for hours worked even though Coffin's firm didn't keep time sheets.
-Public Works officials approved, and even encouraged, the massive fees each agency took for managing $250 million in sponsorship deals from 1997 to 2003.
-He sometimes billed taxpayers for work done by his wife, who was not on his payroll.
From http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1117545330123_112954530/?hub=Canada
Excellent. Now that one of these crooks has plead guilty, maybe his testimony will be used to implicate others. On the other hand, he's an ad exec and not a politician - maybe he's the scapegoat? I'd sure like to see some politicians go to jail over this. Before the 20th century there was "Debtor's prison" where people tremendously in debt would be placed in jail until they could pay off the money they owed (to whoever)... wouldn't it be nice to put these thieves in jail until they paid off the money they stole from Canadian taxpayers?
Coffin, president of Communication Coffin, was arrested in September 2003 on charges relating to 18 federally sponsored events.
Under his pleas, the agreed amount of total fraud against the federal government is $1,556,625 -- which amounts to half of the ad executive's total billings.
Three of the 18 fraud charges that Coffin originally faced were withdrawn by the Crown.
His plea this morning comes six days ahead of the scheduled beginning of his fraud trial. Sentencing arguments will take place on Aug. 16.
Reports indicate Coffin's lawyers have been in negotiations with the Crown and that lawyers and the judge have held two telephone conference calls.
Coffin told the sponsorship inquiry on April 27 he regularly submitted false invoices valued at $2.7 million to the federal government at the request of sponsorship program boss Chuck Guite, who has denied the allegations.
Coffin previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In his inquiry testimony, Coffin shed light on alleged bureaucratic cooperation in a scheme to create a trail of falsified paperwork and inflated bills for several files, including then-prime minister Jean Chretien's Clarity Act, which set ground rules for sovereignty referendums.
Justice John Gomery's inquiry is examining irregular spending in the sponsorship program -- which was supposed to promote Canadian unity after the Quebec referendum, but has been accused of funnelling millions in government contracts to Liberal-friendly ad firms.
Coffin also testified at the Gomery inquiry that:
-He fronted a Health Canada ad contract for another ad agency, Gingko Group, and took a commission even though Gingko did all of the work.
-He had a close friendship with Guite and once hired the bureaucrat as a consultant following Guite's retirement.
-Guite and assistant Huguette Tremblay were participants in a scheme to top off production-fee budgets for a number of sponsorship files from 1997 to 1999.
-Guite asked him to bill for hours worked even though Coffin's firm didn't keep time sheets.
-Public Works officials approved, and even encouraged, the massive fees each agency took for managing $250 million in sponsorship deals from 1997 to 2003.
-He sometimes billed taxpayers for work done by his wife, who was not on his payroll.
From http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1117545330123_112954530/?hub=Canada
Excellent. Now that one of these crooks has plead guilty, maybe his testimony will be used to implicate others. On the other hand, he's an ad exec and not a politician - maybe he's the scapegoat? I'd sure like to see some politicians go to jail over this. Before the 20th century there was "Debtor's prison" where people tremendously in debt would be placed in jail until they could pay off the money they owed (to whoever)... wouldn't it be nice to put these thieves in jail until they paid off the money they stole from Canadian taxpayers?