The Unité permanente anticorruption(UPAC) (English: Permanent Anticorruption unit) is a Quebec government agency whose aim is to fight corruption, collusion and other economic crimes involving government procurement.[2]
| UPAC | |
| File:UPAC logo (2014).png | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 11, 2011 |
| Headquarters | Montreal |
| Employees | 200 (2014) |
| Annual budget | $CAN 30 million[1] |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | UPAC.gouv.qc.ca |
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Background
UPAC was established by the government of Quebec on February 16, 2011, to coordinate the efforts of six teams: Opération Marteau, the contractual verification team of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the anti-fraud squad of Revenu Québec, the anti-collusion unit of Transports Québec, Régie du Bâtiment investigators as well as Commission de la construction du Québec inspectors.[1] The UPAC team of over 300 people has an operating budget is $30 million.[2][3] It reports to the Ministry of Public Security.
Mandate
The mandate of the UPAC is particularly focused on the construction industry. The Unit, which has an annual budget of $ 30 million, investigates offenses associated with corruption, collusion and fraud, including collusion and fraud in the awarding and execution of public contracts. They share expertise and intelligence across departments and agencies.[1]
Past investigations
l'opération Lauréat
According to a November 28, 2018 Global News report, UPAC Officer Jean-Frédérick Gagnon, told the inquiry in 2014 that "operation Lauréat" was an investigation into "the biggest corruption fraud in Canadian history"[4] implicating SNC-Lavalin in bribery for the construction of the McGill University Health Centre. Alexander De Zordo, the lawyer for the Health Centre, whose testimony was part of the Charbonneau inquiry into corruption in Quebec's construction industry, said in court in November 2018, that while the "contract to build the hospital complex was $1.3 billion, it actually totalled close to $4.6 billion when costs of managing the public-private partnership were factored in", representing an inflation of up to 20% or $934 million.[4]
Other investigations
In late 2016 UPAC began investigating two Montreal School Boards, the English Montreal School Board and the Lester B. Pearson School Board, over allegations of irregularities.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Lévesque, Kathleen (October 18, 2012). "Québec somme l'UPAC de faire l'unité". Le Devoir. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Government of Quebec. « Mesures additionnelles de lutte contre la corruption - Création de l'Unité permanente anticorruption », 18 février 2011, http://www.securitepublique.gouv.qc.ca. Web link: http://www.securitepublique.gouv.qc.ca/ministere/salle-presse/communiques/126.html?tx_ttnews{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[tt_news]=4623
- ^ UPAC (ed.). "Mandat".
- ^ a b Valiante, Giuseppe (November 28, 2018). "MUHC deserves the millions in criminal's bank account: lawyer". Global News. Montreal. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ Greenaway, Kathryn; Plante, Caroline (November 30, 2016). "Quebec anti-corruption unit investigating two Montreal school boards". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
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