If former Quebec justice minister Marc Bellemare is to be believed, Premier Jean Charest has much to answer for. This week, Mr. Bellemare has been testifying before the Bastarache Commission, which is charged with investigating allegations of judge-buying, dating back to Mr. Bellemare’s short tenure in Mr. Charest’s Cabinet in 2003-2004. According to Mr. Bellemare, one Franco Fava, a Liberal party fundraiser and construction magnate, pressured him to appoint three Liberal partisans over the minister’s own choices. When Mr. Bellemare complained to Mr. Charest, the latter allegedly replied: “Franco is a personal friend. He’s an influential fundraiser. We need those guys…If he tells you to appoint [those persons], appoint them.” Mr. Bellemare also testified that he witnessed the exchange of under-the-table donations at Liberal fundraisers.
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